A Fresh Snowfall
by The Detective Prince
Summary: Yukiko Ginhana, after a cocky mistake, ends up being held hostage by Madara Uchiha for the information she holds on her allies, the Senju, however things aren't quite what they seem...MadaraxOC M for future lemons.
1. Under The Circumstances

Hey all! The Detective Prince here, who else would it be? Not much to say really as it's only the first chapter but since my Persona 3 Portable story (That's still being worked on but it's on a little break while I sort things out with it) I've been using song lyrics for chapter titles so I'll have to use this space to write where the various titles come from. Also, I know the beginning seems a bit fast paced but it all clears up later on.

This chapter's title comes from the Portal 2 ending song 'Want You Gone'.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, if I did why would I be writing fanfics? The only thing I own is Yukiko Ginhana, my OC. Enjoy and review! Remember nothing can get better without a good review!

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><p><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**Under The Circumstances...**

The moon was dousing the world in its silver glow as snow gently drifted down to coat the ground.

Several ninja were shifting through the forest of the Land of Fire and one particular platoon was from the Ginhana clan. It was a covert mission that they'd just completed and were heading back to the Land of Water where their stronghold was.

"Yukiko-sama, I'm sensing several ninja up ahead..." one of them whispered to their leader, a white haired young woman with pale skin and crimson eyes.

"Can't you tell from this snow? It's a blessing, we'll be fine," she hissed with a gentle smile. It reminded her of their home and she hadn't been there in weeks now. "We'll get all of this sorted with the Water Daimyo and receive our payment. It'll be a big one this time guys, no fighting for at least a month! Hope you've all got plans!" she laughed, landing on the ground with a crunch and signalling the others to wait.

She stood up, glaring around her and raising a hand to cover her mouth which had become a bit of a habit for her.

Her dark blue top stopped just above her waist, leaving her midriff and the sleeves were draped over her hands to conceal shuriken better. Her hair was tied back loosely yet left her bangs to frame her face and her side-fringe to hide her right eye.

"Actually, guys, you take the east path and I'll deal with the shinobi up ahead," she turned and gave them a thumbs up. "That's an order,"

"Right," without a single disagreement the group left her to handle them alone.

_And on a count of three..._

Yukiko burst through the trees and into a clearing, she quickly counted six ninja.

"Ice style: Deadly Hail," several sharp icicles shot out as she drew the katana tied around her waist.

A fireball was hurtling towards her; swiftly she dove to the side to avoid it.

_Dammit! Fire users, of course! _

"Water style: Tearing Torrent!" the spiral of water that spread from her hand extinguished the flames effortlessly.

"Well that was interesting!" one of them laughed; he had dark blue hair tied in a pony tail down his back and pale skin. He was apparently the one who'd shot the fireball, judging the smoke he was still exhaling.

"Good to know I can entertain!" she leapt up to one of the trees.

"That's not what I was talking about..." the man disappeared, a whirl of wind came from behind Yukiko, catching her off-guard.

_Too fast! _

She tried to swing her katana back at him only to feel a sudden thud at the base of her neck. Slowly she heard her katana hit the branch of the tree but her vision was fading to black.

_My men...Dammit..._

"See you soon..." his voice was smooth and yet there was darkness within his words.

She was unconscious before she even hit the ground but she remembered the snow. No matter what was going on around her, the snow was calm and gentle. She hated it.

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><p>There was a ringing in Yukiko's ears as she slowly became aware of the world around her again and at the same time didn't have the energy to open her eyes.<p>

"I thought as much..." that smooth voice again and a much livelier one.

"I'll notify him right away, sir," click, a door was shut.

"I know you're awake," slowly she managed to open her eyes; it was a dark room, an emblem of a fan on the wall behind the man who'd knocked her out.

"The...Uchiha?" she groaned, suddenly aware that her hands were tied behind her and that there was _something _draining her chakra on her exposed stomach.

"That's right...Standard procedure is to kill any enemies on sight but I noticed something. When you drew your sword there was a few drops of a clear liquid that came off of it. Now either your sword was wet, which I doubt, or you keep it in a sheath filled with poison, which I found out was true. Ice and poison is an awfully harsh combination. I recall a ninja from the Land of Water using it before...Ritsuko Yuki. I doubt you're her though as she's in her fifties now..."

"Dead." Yukiko interrupted, her voice still strained.

"Excuse me?" he tilted his head to one side with a polite smile.

"Ritsuko Yuki is dead. She died about half a year ago..."

"Ah, well then you'd be her daughter?" she gave no reply, she just glared at him. "That's a yes; I can go check records if you want. It's really no trouble except that I wouldn't mind killing you afterwards..." he was still giving her that polite smile even when threatening to kill her.

_Dying here wouldn't be the best idea...I have to get back to my men..._

"It's Yukiko...My name is Yukiko and I am her daughter," she sighed, trying to look down at what was draining her chakra.

"Yukiko...Yuki?"

"No, Yukiko Ginhana. She married the head of the Ginhana clan, Isamu Ginhana..." the Uchiha took a moment to ponder on this.

"Isamu Ginhana...Isamu...Isamu...Ah...Yes, he died a few years ago during an attack on us...He was acting on an alliance with the Senju which is still in place isn't it?"

Yukiko made no reply to this either she just continued glaring.

"Which would make you the head of the Ginhana? I knew there was a reason I found you so interesting...Well I'll be back in a minute," the Uchiha practically bounced out of the room.

Yukiko quickly discovered all her shuriken had been removed and her small sword she'd kept stored down her knee length boots. She did, however, manage to sit up and notice a seal on her stomach keeping her chakra at the same level she guessed a baby would be born with.

The ropes binding wrists together were tight enough that she thought she'd lose complete blood flow to her hands if she struggled. Someone had cut her sleeves to elbow length to keep her from wriggling out from beneath the material of her top.

She recalled a conversation with Tobirama Senju in which he called the Uchiha not only the most brutal of all the clans but the lowest as well, doing anything to win no matter how despicable it was. Quite simply, a clan of warriors with no pride.

_How did I end up like this though? _

It was racking her brain, doing her in completely how she had managed to be taken down to easily. She quickly realised she had no one to blame but herself. Her elation at completing her mission so efficiently had made her cocky and it just so happened to be an Uchiha that had caught her on her mistake.

If she could have, Yukiko would have buried her face into her hands and screamed in frustration. But as it so happened she was unable to do that due to her prior cockiness and so that left her feeling more frustrated. It was a vicious cycle.

The door opened again and the Uchiha was back, smiling still.

"Ah, Yukiko, it's your lucky day..."

"That means you'll let me go?" as her mother always told her if you don't ask you don't get.

"No, but we will let you live. You hold valuable information on the Senju and Madara..."

_No honorific...Who's this guy then?_

"Wants you to tell us all about the Senju," he continued, kneeling down beside her.

"And if I refuse? Then do I get killed?" Yukiko was doubtful it would end well for her.

"No. We won't kill you, but you won't have a clan to go back to..." Someone knew something about her, that's all she could conclude.

Her clan was her responsibility. She did everything to ensure their safety and so killing her would have been fine but slaughtering her clan was something she couldn't allow.

"You really are a bunch of warriors with no pride..." Yukiko hissed. It was a stupid mistake but when cornered even the most placid of animals will still hiss and spit, even if they're lowering themselves to the ground in fear at the same time.

"I wouldn't say something like that in front of Madara, that wouldn't be wise at all," he grabbed one arm and pulled her up. "I'm Izuna by the way. I'm second-in-command here,"

She was led down a corridor with members of the Uchiha clan gawking at her, pointing and laughing. It was probably one of the most humiliating things she'd experienced. Yukiko felt it best to just keep her head down and try not to snap.

Soon she was in a throne room; sitting on a large chair at the end of the room was Madara Uchiha in all his arrogance. That was the first thing she noticed, the way he was eying her was with a smug look. The most frustrating thing being that she couldn't say his smugness was exactly unfounded.

As she stood, then kicked to kneel, in front of him she could practically taste the dense chakra surrounding him. Not only that but she had to keep repeating to herself that he was head of one of the strongest clans in the world and knowing he could fight Hashirama was even more reason for her to keep her wits about her.

Then another sickening thought crept into Yukiko's mind.

He was practically holding her clan hostage and yet at the same time she refused to betray the Senju after all they'd done for her clan.

This man, this powerful beast of a man, was scum in her mind.

"Ginhana, Izuna's told you what we want from you," his voice reminded her of thunder, a deep rumbling of some unfathomable force of nature. Yet she stayed strong.

"I can't tell you anything about the Senju...At the same time I can't let you slaughter my people..." he smirked at her.

"Well then you're in quite the dilemma...Either that or you're just not taking this seriously..." he nodded to someone behind her.

"I assure you, Madara, I'm taking this seriously but surely there's some middle ground here...Something I can give you that sort of compensates..." there was muffled groans from behind her and when Yukiko turned around her blood turned to ice.

Daisuke, one of the men in her platoon, was thrust down before Madara. He was bound and gagged and the sight of the blood and bruises almost completely covering him was sickening.

"Daisuke!" Yukiko felt a rush of helplessness like she'd never experienced before. His emerald green eyes looked at her, pleaded with her to help him but what could she do?

Madara picked something up from the side of his throne and approached Daisuke.

It shimmered, even with nothing just torch lights running along the wall. It shimmered like diamonds were incrusted into the very centre of the blade, the blade her mother had given her, Kiyoshi.

Madara rested the blade against Daisuke's neck.

"Please don't..." Yukiko begged.

"The information you have?"

"I can't!" he brought the katana up and then...

It was a sudden reaction and she had no idea where it came from. The world was slow, the sharp sword slowly falling...Yukiko had only one option, launching herself up and knocking Daisuke out of the way. Had it not been for Madara's Sharingan she would have almost certainly been killed there and then.

"Don't you dare think about using my own sword to kill him!" she warned, they were nothing but empty words though. She was still tied up.

In one easy kick she was flung across the room, hitting the wall with enough force she was left coughing up blood.

"Remember this, Yukiko Ginhana: I'm not the one killing this man, it's you," was all he said before ruthlessly decapitating Daisuke.

Numb, Yukiko was suddenly aware of how numb she had become whether it was from shock or fear she had no idea. She felt so numb she didn't even feel the tears falling from her eyes as they cascaded down her cheek.

"...Why?" That was what she could muster up. Madara approached her; Yukiko was desperate to just sink into the wall behind her.

"Perhaps, we've rushed you too much. Ponder the death of your clansman tonight...We'll see if your allegiance to the Senju is really that strong," he knelt down in front of her, a smirk still on his lips as he placed two bloodstained fingers on her cheek. "We'll see..."

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><p>Yukiko was lying in the room she'd woken up in before. She was no longer tied up but with no chakra, weapons and the door locked and guarded there was nothing she could do to solve her predicament.<p>

Instead she sat, cross-legged, in the centre of the room in deep thought. Her mother had always warned her about these situations. Her words ringing in her mind over and over again.

_Never ever compromise the clan! They are the people who depend on you, Yukiko and it is your duty to protect them..._

At the same time her mother had told her never to sell out their allies and that if she did she would have no clan to return to.

The answer was staring her in the face, she pulled out a small necklace of a rose that her father had given her.

_Tonight we all go to hell, father, _she thought to herself, looking out of the barred window to the stars. It was still snowing.

A foreign country did nothing for her hatred of the snow though, if anything it intensified it. She stood up and looked out properly.

All Yukiko needed now was the courage to try to strike a bargain with Madara, one that he would undoubtedly not be able to refuse...It would have to be a win-win scenario for him.

"I'm so sorry, Daisuke..." she whispered. It wasn't like she'd get any sleep tonight, no it was better for her to stay awake and practise again and again until what she had planned was engraved into her mind.

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><p>By the time Izuna walked into the room, Yukiko was clearly exhausted. Exhausted but there was a look in her eyes that told him that this promised to be an interesting day for him.<p>

"Come, come, Yuki-chan," his smile had returned and the spring in his step seemed to intensify. She said nothing; she didn't want anything throwing her off the script in her mind.

The walk to the throne room was a little less humiliating this time, maybe because she wasn't wallowing in self-pity this time.

Madara was sitting in his throne once again, still exuding confidence and power.

"Yukiko, I assume you've chosen the only plausible option,"

"I want to suggest a deal to you, Madara-san..."

"Madara-_sama_," he warned, Sharingan activating.

"Madara-_sama _," if only she could have spat his name...If only. "I'll declare allegiance to your clan instead of the Senju, I can not give you any information but I assure you..." he got up and strode towards her.

"You honestly think I care about your pathetic excuse for a clan? Clearly you have no idea who you're talking to," she tried desperately to but couldn't match his gaze.

"I refuse to endanger my people...If you don't kill my clan then the Senju will! What kind of choice is that?" Yukiko wasn't the type of person to shout but she felt as though no one was listening to her, why would they listen to _their _hostage though?

"Tell me what you know about the Senju and your clan doesn't die in vain," he laughed. It was the sort of laughter than made her shudder.

"I refuse..." she glared down at the floor.

"Fine. Everyone, leave," the Uchiha had evacuated the room so quickly and efficiently that it left her feeling as though they'd rehearsed it.

The kunoichi looked back in mild amazement.

"Look at me," his voice now a fierce growl. Yet fear stopped her, keeping her crimson eyes trained on the door.

"_Look. At. Me._" He suddenly had a hold of her throat, forcing her to look him in the eyes. Those red eyes...His tomoe spun and morphed into a new shape completely.

Hell.

Yukiko couldn't describe what she experienced in words other than she was thrown into Hell. It was terrifying, painful and completely indescribable.

Her body was burned by fire, her mind tortured in unimaginable ways.

She fell to the floor, trembling and hyperventilating. She'd been placed in genjutsus before and had been quite good at dispelling them and yet she had been unable to fathom reality from illusion in that place he had shown her.

That fiery place with bloodstained snow...

Her tears refused to stop and her voice still failed her.

She looked back up at him; his eyes so deeply grey they were almost black were just staring down at her with something like disgust.

"How selfish...And you call yourself a clan leader. You know what you must do,"

"No...If I do then I can't protect them anymore..." Yukiko's voice was shaky however she'd at least managed speech.

"From what I've seen, you haven't protected them so far," he knelt down again, a hand on her throat once more but he didn't tighten his grip yet.

"I'm impressed you got through Tsukuyomi without your spirit breaking but surely even you know you can not hope to defeat me," that fear in her was ignited again.

"I..." she grabbed at his wrist. "I'm not going to become a traitor or something subhuman like you," the grip he had on her intensified.

"You really think you're at liberty to insult me, Ginhana?"

"You think you're at liberty to kill me and threaten the lives of my clan?" the oxygen was slowly being sapped from her, causing her vision to blur.

"You're nothing but a fool who stumbled onto the position of clan leader by blood,"

"You're just a murderer...So where..." Oxygen, she needed oxygen! Yukiko could feel her body begin to go limp.

"Fine. I'll have to strip you of that title then,"

Everything went black, the last thing she could recall was Madara's mocking chuckle to himself.

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><p><strong>Ah, Yukiko, you naive fool. Izuna took a lot of work writing since he's practically a blank slate other than "compassionate, harmonic" and what he did for Madara so in the upcoming chapters he gains quite the personality. So hopefully you'll join me next time for the next instalment of A Fresh Snowfall.<strong>

**Next chapter title: When Everything's Made To Be Broken! **


	2. When Everything's Made To Be Broken

Hello again/Welcome back! The Detective Prince here again. Quick update wasn't it? Well truth be told I've already got the first 7 chapters of this story written up it's just a matter of editing them and re-reading them a whole bunch of times. *sigh* Takes a lot to sort all of this out ya know. Ah, Izuna's here to make everything better in this chapter, well not really but I love writing his parts!

Chapter title comes from the song Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls. Great song...Enjoy and review...The Story, not the song, but if you like the song as well then yay!

**~ The Detective Prince**

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><p><strong>Chapter Two<strong>

**When Everything's Made To Be Broken!**

Yukiko found herself on the cold floor of a room she didn't recognise this time but she was alive. As long as she stayed that way there was a chance.

Her eyes opened to reveal a light glaring down at her; instinctively she covered her eyes and sat up. The emblem of the Uchiha was painted on the wall, just as it had been in the room before. Yet there was a large table in the centre with papers on it, no doubt for her to read.

_Hiraku Ginhana _

_Koutarou Ginhana_

_Natsumi Ginhana_

She read on and on and found it to be a list of everyone in her clan and all their details such as their address, age, what level ninja they were, even the members of the Ginhana council were listed.

She picked up another paper, this time it was a mission status update. Reading it made her feel a sudden sickness in her stomach.

The bold headline reading "GINHANA CLAN SLAUGHTERED IN ONE NIGHT."

Shaking uncontrollably she checked through the article, everything added up and it all seemed true.

She was now panicked, going through the rest of the papers until at the bottom in the very centre was a picture that all but assured her they'd been to her village, her house even.

It was from when she was about 8. Her mother and father standing proud with her in between them, one of her favourite pictures that she kept by her bedside.

Yukiko was now feeling like she'd lost it completely, rushing to the door and all but kicking it down.

"Get me Madara right now!" she screamed as she started to cry. After five minutes of relentless pounding on the door his deep calm voice was heard on the other side.

"I'd stop that if I were you, move away from the door and I'll come in to talk to you...Have you read the reports?" Madara laughed.

She moved away from the door but as soon as he walked in she attempted to punch him, repeatedly. He grabbed her and pinned her against the wall.

"Why! I was cooperating!" she yelled, an unfamiliar fire igniting in her.

"You see that's the thing. From where I was it didn't seem like you were cooperating at all. I killed that man and still got nowhere but at least now you don't have to worry about anyone killing your clan. So that information you hold _will _be mine," he was cruel. Too cruel for Yukiko to handle, she'd dealt with murderers before and dealt with clan leaders as well but this man was much more twisted than she'd read him for.

"You...You're a sick and twisted maniac who has to have everything done the way you want it! The Senju were right about you!" as soon as she shouted her last sentence she'd received her punishment for uttering it. A slap hard enough it sent her to the floor.

"You don't understand, do you? You failed to act and now you've lost everything, that's how it works in life. There are no rules and not everyone will stand around waiting for _you _to be ready," there was bitterness in his voice now, enough so that she looked up at his intimidating form above her.

"You're right, I've lost everything. Except of course that if I were to escape the Senju would still accept me and take me in,"

"You didn't read the reports properly, did you? You've been named the primary suspect and do you really think if you tell them the Uchiha, who've had no previous encounter with your clan for the last three years, killed them they'd believe you?" Yukiko _had _read the reports properly but she hadn't thought anything through.

"So what can I do? Even if I give you the information you want I'm ruined," she asked, still shaking.

"You can end your pitiful existence," Madara briskly left the room.

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><p>Those words echoed in her head for what seemed like hours. Yukiko was just lying on the floor where he'd hit her to thinking. Her thoughts were becoming out of control and when it seemed as though her mind was breaking she clutched her necklace.<p>

She'd failed, yes but there was no way she wasn't going down without a fight.

"Madara!" the leader was walking down to his office when his younger brother found him. "Ah, Madara, how'd the questioning go? Do we have any information?" he didn't bother waiting for an answer. "I guess not, well maybe I could go talk to her. But I do have one little question for you before I do though,"

Before he opened the door to his office he waited to Izuna's question.

"This information she has, how do we know it's even worth anything?" Madara pulled out a scroll from around his waist and threw it to him.

He took a peek at the scroll before laughing.

"Alright, allow me to go deal with her,"

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><p>Izuna ran off back to Yukiko's room. He whispered something to the guard outside and then walked in.<p>

"Good morning, Yuki-chan, how're you feeling today?" Silence. "I'm not here to upset you or hurt you and I don't care about whatever information you've got either," she lifted her head up.

The guard walked back in handing her katana, Kiyoshi, and a bowl to Izuna.

"What're you here for then?"

"I'm here to get to know you, I know your family is dead and I knew your mother had quite the reputation as a powerful kunoichi, how was your childhood?" he placed the two items down in front of her and sat on the table.

"My childhood? I had both my parents and they loved me and each other very much. There was war but we were always a close family," Yukiko eyed him with suspicion.

"I see. Ours wasn't as lucky. Our parents died in battle and we were left to fend for ourselves,"

"We?" she sat up, grabbing her sword and looked into the bowl, it was filled with rice. A delicious smelling rice and considering she hadn't eaten in days it was tempting to eat.

"I'm Madara's brother," she glanced up at him suddenly.

"That's why you don't call him Madara-sama..." she whispered. Izuna nodded.

"Eat, come on, we'll talk!" he laughed, gesturing her to sit next to him.

"I'm not..." he rolled his eyes and sat down next to her on the floor instead.

"Madara hit you," Izuna pointed out, touching her cheek where his brother had struck her. She flinched away from his touch.

"What're your motives?"

"I get bored a lot, so I thought I'd pay you a visit. Besides my brother can be a bit overwhelming at times so perhaps you can just talk to me. I don't mind what about and it's not like I wanna go tell Madara anything, I'm quite the selfish person really," Izuna admitted sardonically, a sly smirk on his lips.

"I'm not in the mood to talk, I'm stuck in here with..." the Uchiha grabbed her wrist and pulled her up, leading her to the door.

"Well we'll go outside then!"

"What? No, that's not what I..." Yukiko's strength paled in comparison to his though, however he wasn't hurting her despite the fact he easily could.

The pair were silent as they walked through the corridors she took in how large an army Madara had.

Yet despite the fact she was obviously their prisoner no one made a single attempt to ask Izuna what he was doing or where he was going.

They reached a large set of imperial double doors with the Uchiha fan painted on them. He effortlessly pushed them open and revealed the dizzying height they had reached at the very top of the stronghold.

The forest around them was cloaked in white snow which was still gently spiralling through the air.

"Can I trust you?" he asked her abruptly, looking over at her. His eyes were the same deep grey as Madara's and yet there was gentleness in them.

"You're asking if you can trust _me_?" he chuckled quietly to himself. She guessed what he was asking though. "Yes, you can trust me," he relinquished his grip on her.

She could have raised her sword against him then and there but it'd be pointless and then she realised his motive.

It was to show her that there was no point struggling and that even given the chance she wouldn't do anything against him.

This man wasn't like his brother at all, who would've used brute force to teach her this. No, Izuna gave her the chance to figure it out all by herself.

Yukiko looked down at Kiyoshi, still glistening in the morning sun. Her grip on it tightened.

"You're actually Madara's brother? You look similar, yes. But you're so..."

"Different? I didn't accept the burden of being head of our clan. That's all there is really, besides he doesn't know any other way to act really. By the way, get in the habit of calling him Madara-sama," Izuna shrugged, a falcon above them was screeching into the sky.

"He's watching us as well," he laughed, nudging Yukiko.

"What? Why?"

"Well, Madara's cautious about me," Yukiko watched the bird carefully.

"You're his brother though, why would he be cautious about you?" she felt the wind pick up suddenly.

"Because I'm his brother so I'm the one he has the least control over. Stick with me, Yuki-chan; it'll all work out,"

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><p>Madara sat in his office, filling out forms and impatiently waiting to hear what his sly younger brother had to report.<p>

Just as he'd expected, Izuna walked in.

"You have something to report?" his eyes looked up from the paper he'd been writing on.

"Ah! I do, I've made several arrangements for Yukiko. I think you'll find my way is more effective in getting information from her," he twirled his bangs around his fingers as he spoke.

"Arrangement? Why wasn't I informed?"

"As I said, my way is much more effective, shouting at her and killing people will do no good," his voice was callous all of a sudden.

"Don't take that tone with me! Tell me what you've planned," Madara stood up, his eyes narrowed.

Izuna just shrugged a playful smile on his lips. "You'll see, my sweet brother," he turned and left Madara seething in frustration.

"Izuna!" he yelled, storming towards the door. "Izuna! Get back here!"

His brother knew how to irritate him and apparently enjoyed making it look easy as well.

* * *

><p>The Ginhana was sat in a new room now, this one was huge though and on one wall was several katana and shuriken. She found herself gawking at all the weapons and picked up one of the katana, a dragon engraved all the way down the blade.<p>

She'd seen a similar sword in her father's room once before.

"_Father, will you teach me to use a katana like you?" _

Yukiko didn't feel an ounce of hatred against Izuna, was it because he was the only one who'd shown her kindness? Or was it because without her chakra or a blade laced with poison she felt weak? She couldn't quite decide.

Her eyes fell to the desk in the corner of the room, underneath a window with a fantastic view of the forest. She knew that in that direction was the Senju's stronghold.

On the desk was an unfinished letter to some weapon merchant from the writing though she realised exactly whose room she was in.

Fear overwhelmed her as she dropped the sword and rushed to the door which opened just before she reached it.

Madara froze for a moment, anger painted on his face as plain as day.

"What're you doing in here?" he spat, closing the gap between the two.

"I-Izuna-san told me to wait here..." realisation flickered in his eyes.

_So this is what he meant by arrangements..._

While in Yukiko's mind she was screaming at herself, she was supposed to be a leader yet as he stood in front of her she could barely speak. It was those images of Hell in her mind.

Her instincts were telling her to move, she had to get out of that room and away from him at all costs but her body betrayed her completely and insisted on staying anchored in one place not even daring to tremble.

Frightened prey before a merciless predator, she looked up and tried to make eye contact with him yet she failed. She knew exactly what those eyes could do.

"I see, excuse me while I go find him then, Ginhana," as soon as he left the room it was like her body had been freed, she dropped to one knee in exasperation.

With his presence alone it had felt like Madara had sucked away all the air from the room and replaced it with ice and with him gone it was warm again.

Yukiko wasn't sure what to do now though, she could leave the room or do as she'd been told by Izuna.

* * *

><p>Madara all but ran down to his brother's quarters, finding him dozing off on his bed with a book in hand.<p>

"My room. _Now_," he snarled, his brother sitting up with a lofty yawn.

"You found her quicker than I thought; I didn't even get a proper nap in," Izuna got up at a painstakingly slow pace, stretching and then slowly wandered out of his room with his brother storming down ahead of him.

It wasn't unusual to see Madara angry with a more than complacent Izuna behind him so none of the clansmen thought anything of it.

Yukiko was quite shocked though when the pair entered the room, Madara throwing the door open so violently that the hinges nearly shattered.

"Izuna, explain what arrangements you had decided on for Ginhana," he barked, as she tried to stand up again.

"Certainly, I thought it'd be good to clear the air of genocide by arranging it so that Yuki-chan would stay here," had it been anyone other than his brother, Madara would've ripped his head off where he stood.

"Izuna-san...I'm fine with just being given my freedom," she pointed out, being able to stand again.

"You're not getting that," the elder interrupted.

"It would be a hassle since I've got a few bags for you on their way here, don't worry, Yuki-chan, remember what I told you on the rooftop," he winked to her, bowed to his brother and left the room quickly.

"Izuna, get back here you sly fox!" Madara left as well leaving Yukiko standing in the room alone and confused.

* * *

><p><em>Am I staying here? Leaving? <em>She turned and looked out of the window again. She'd propped Kiyoshi up against the wall beneath it, taking the time to draw it from its sheath.

The snow was still falling mockingly outside, now it reminded her of a home she'd probably never seen again and the handle of her sword reminded her of a mother she'd let down however a curious thought swept over her.

_It doesn't matter anymore..._

Some would find inheriting a clan stifling but Yukiko had been so proud to be declared head of the Ginhana. They'd never been a burden to her at all, instead she wanted to create peace for her people and now the only peace they knew was in the afterlife without their leader for comfort.

She'd fallen defeated but now she wasn't tied down by her clan, yet she wanted to be.

The door opened behind her but she didn't bother to turn around. Her realisation that she now truly had nothing had caused a strange reaction in her.

"Ginhana." It was Madara as she'd suspected. "You've only got yourself to blame for what happened to your clan..." he started.

"I know," Yukiko whispered "You told me that once I gave you that information I could end my life. I don't think I want to do either of those things. The truth is I can't give you any information right now; it's in a scroll that's sealed away in me. I have no chakra to undo the seal," His Sharingan watched her carefully, she wasn't lying. Her eyes, however, never left the snow outside.

"You want your chakra back?" she shook her head. "Then what?"

"You'll get your information, I swear upon Kiyoshi but I need to know something," her crimson eyes left the snow at last and looked up at him, nervously. "I need to know just who it is I'm giving this information to,"

"Don't play games, Ginhana, it doesn't suit a kunoichi of your calibre," he scoffed.

_Was that a compliment?_

"Me and Izuna-san have a lot in common, so if you can show me that I should give you the information in me then I'll let you have it," anger, there was a definite ripple of anger in him.

"What?"

"That's what Izuna-san has informed me..." with a sudden thud she was pushed against the wall so hard several of the weapons fell off their stands.

"What did my brother tell you?" he had a vice grip on her arms, making her heart pound against her ribcage faster and faster. "Tell me!"

"I-I..." her voice was failing her now, that numbness had been replaced quickly with fear. "He made me swear I wouldn't tell you..." every muscle in his body tensed as she said this.

"Do I have to remind you whose authority is higher?"

No. He didn't have to do that at all, Yukiko was terrified her arms would break if he held them any harder. She couldn't lie to him either with his Sharingan glaring down at her.

"As a Ginhana ninja I'm afraid it's not in my nature to break an oath..." was all she could manage before being thrown to the floor.

"I'm sorry I thought I heard you say you were ninja to a clan that doesn't exist anymore..." Madara was ruthless; she stared up at him as he had that merciless yet powerful look in his eyes.

Her voice began to fail her again. Bloodlust. She'd seen it on the battlefield many times and yet she was lying on the floor in the middle of the Uchiha stronghold with no chakra...But a sword.

Yukiko launched past him, grabbing Kiyoshi and attempting to swipe at him. It was dodged, a little more easily that she would have liked however she was against the Sharingan so it wasn't exactly a surprise either.

"You bitch!" he spat, pulling out one of his katana.

The two swords clashed together so hard that sparks flew off in various directions.

Yukiko knew it was useless, she could feel just a fraction of his strength being leaned into the sword and it had her and Kiyoshi trembling.

"Who gave you this sword back?" Madara hissed, feeling his temper flare enough to scorch anyone close enough to him.

"Izuna-san..." all his force was brought down now, Kiyoshi being flung from her grasp. His blade cutting her left arm deeply as she fell back, hitting her head on the wall with enough force it knocked the sense out of her.

"Pick a fight with me when you aren't in my quarters next time," she heard him say as she slowly slid down to the floor.

"Was it because your parents died?" Yukiko muttered, her vision blurred in and out of focus. "You said to me that no one wants until you're ready and that if you wait you lose everything...Did you say that because that's how you felt when your parents died?"

A sharp kick to the stomach silenced her.

"You don't have the right to talk about them,"

* * *

><p>Madara left her in there and headed out to find Izuna, the cause of all the trouble he'd just gone through. He checked his katana as he walked noting that even though he'd knocked her down, her Kiyoshi had sliced halfway through his blade.<p>

_Troublesome child...The both of them..._

He slammed the door open in his usual fiery manner and found his brother in the same sort of state as before.

"You realise that you can _push _doors and they open, don't you, brother? They aren't there to be abused...Oh talking of abuse how is Yuki-chan?" that smile, that self-assured smile he gave Madara.

"You gave her that sword back..." was all he could manage without losing his temper complete.

"I do recall doing something like that earlier, yes. You have to remember to feed pets as well, brother, so perhaps you should take her some food as well,"

"She needs some stitches and to get. The. Hell. _Out of my room!_" he roared, Izuna had to stifle a laugh just watching him.

"Right well, you go do...Whatever it is you do and I will deal with her. I've become quite fond of her already," now he did let go of that laugh as he walked past his brother without so much as a glance and ambled slowly to Madara's quarters.

Izuna poked his head round the door and found Yukiko slumped against the wall on the far side of the room.

The fact that she wore white shorts made the blood pouring from her arm seem more dramatic.

"I'm sorry..." she groaned as he knelt beside her. He checked her arm and then tried to speak to her.

"Yuki-chan..." he placed his hand in her right hand. "Squeeze my hand if you can hear me properly," there was a slight tensing. "Alright then, I'm going to clean and stitch up your wound and then you'll come back to my room with me so my brother can cool off,"

"I'm sorry," she repeated. Izuna sighed; knowing he probably wouldn't get much else out of her, and start to clean the wound. It took him two minutes to get it all sorted and that left him with the job of carrying her to his room which thankfully was only on the other side of the corridor.

"Alright, Yuki-chan, we'll get going now," he threw her over his shoulder and quickly exited the room.

As he got back to his own though he saw that his brother hadn't left yet, standing there with his arms folded.

"I've removed your pest problem so now you can..."

"I'm sorry..."

"She does that, it's blood loss. She's slightly delirious. Now you can stop harming the calm in my room," he callously threw her down onto his bed and turned to his brother.

"What did you tell her earlier?" Madara approached Izuna, the space between them cut to less than a metre.

"I didn't _tell _her anything. I _advised _her to find out what sort of man she'd be handing information to if she were to give it..." He was testing his patience; it took an enormous amount of self-control for Madara not to hit his brother.

"Did I tell you that you could?" Izuna twirled his bangs around his fingers again.

"No, but you didn't say I _couldn't. _Nor did you refuse when I told you that I would deal with her but look at it this way brother..." he looked up, Sharingan activated. "We're one step closer, she's not exactly saying she _won't _give us the information she's keeping,"

This was true, she'd told Madara herself that she'd give him the information she just needed to know what sort of man he was.

Yukiko stirred again the two looked down at her. "I'm sorry, Madara-san..."

"That's just plain old strange," Izuna pointed out, his gaze returning to his brother. Madara said nothing more and left. "Yep, you're both plain old strange and that's what I like about you," he laughed to himself as he sat down beside her. "Don't worry and don't apologise. You can't help being my pet, it was getting boring and I admit the last one was killed but I'll make sure that doesn't happen this time, Yukiko Ginhana," he petted her snow white hair and laughed again.

"I don't suggest fighting Madara anytime soon," Izuna leaned in and whispered to her. "Maybe I'll come to like that about you though, welcome to Hell, Yukiko. It's boring but like I said...Stick with me and it'll all work out..."

* * *

><p><strong>Here's a question for you, if you were in the same situation would you really trust Izuna? He's quite possibly the most sly character I've ever written about and trust me he only gets more weird as time goes on. <strong>

**Plus I'm not sure about you but I sort of feel sorry for Madara at this point as well...All that anger can't be good for his blood pressure. XD So join me probably the same time next week for A Fresh Snowfall! Thankiessssss! Bye-ni! **

**Next Chapter Title: There's Nothing Left For Me To Lose Except Confusion**


	3. There's Nothing Left For Me To Lose

Hi again! Thankies for reviews and stuff, so lovely to read my emails! Ah, chapter 3. More playful banter from Izuna coming up for you, and of course there's Yukiko being...well Yukiko which tends to annoy Madara anyway especially after last chapter's erm...disagreement with swords. So read, review and enjoy

Chapter Title: Heavy Hangs The Albatross from Alesana (Seriously their album The Emptiness is one of my favourite albums of all time XD)

Disclaimer: I woke up this morning only to discover I _still _don't own Naruto :( Just my wikkle OC Yukiko Ginhana in all her shiny snowy whiteness (She'd hate it if you actually called her Snowy I thinks.)

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Three<strong>

**There's Nothing Left For Me To Lose Except Confusion...**

Yukiko woke up in a bed, she could hardly believe it. She hadn't quite sussed out who the owner of the bed was though but she did know there was a dull pain coming from the back of her head and a burning pain in her left arm.

_Ah..._Realization was a harsh mistress sometimes.

Realising that you decided it would be a good idea to cross swords with the ruthless leader of an army of warriors the likes of which could only be matched by the Senju...That was a very bad thing to realise.

Part of her wanted to throw the bed sheets over her head and curled up underneath them, hiding like a small child but before she could even attempt this plan the door to the expansive room opened and Izuna Uchiha walked in.

"Ah, you're awake. Good..." he looked out of the window "afternoon, Yuki-chan. How're you feeling?"

"I'm...fine," she lied with a sigh. She managed to sit up with no problem but guessed that with concussion like she had, standing wasn't a smart plan. But wasn't it one of her 'not smart plans' that gotten her into this mess in the first place?

"You feel like crap, I get it. How about some food?" his cheerful nature was lost on her though. Whatever spark she'd had in her eyes had been dulled, perhaps by a broken pride.

"Where's Kiyoshi?" was all she muttered to him. He tilted his head to one side.

"It's in Madara's room,"

The Uchiha quickly left to retrieve it.

However he hadn't spoken to Madara since he'd left the evening before and he was pretty sure his brother wouldn't be in a good mood and definitely not in a mood to hand her back her katana just yet.

* * *

><p>Izuna slowly crept into the room, Madara sitting at his desk writing.<p>

"Brother!" Izuna chirped.

"What?" his tone was much more harsh than usual.

"I've actually come to get something, not to bother you this time," Izuna changed his own tone accordingly; it was light and had a hint of vulnerability to it, resembling how he had sounded when he was younger.

"Get whatever you need then get out of my sight,"

_I'm not in your sight I'm behind you... _He thought to himself with a smirk. Izuna quickly grabbed Kiyoshi from next to the desk and turned to leave when Madara grabbed his wrist.

"And what..." his eyes narrowed "my dear brother, do you want with that?"

Anyone else would have been intimidated.

"It's for Yukiko; she won't talk unless she has it. She hasn't told me that but naturally I noticed this earlier, you do still need that information on the Senju...Don't you?"

"Whose side are you on?" Madara growled.

"It's not a matter of choosing sides, Madara, it's a matter of getting that information or not, am I right?" his brother had no argument to this and relinquished his grip.

Izuna darted out of the room before the older Uchiha changed his mind about letting him go.

When he got in it seemed as though Yukiko was still trying to figure out whether it was worth trying to stand up yet or not.

"I have Kiyoshi, Yuki-chan," he threw her the blade and waited for her reaction.

"Izuna-san..." He knew the blade was the key to getting her to talk. "I still don't understand why you're trying to help me," she sighed.

"I'm not, it's just the last person to come here under these circumstances got killed by Madara a week later. I wanna break that record, I'm aiming for a month,"

She looked up at him, glaring. "Did you stitch my arm up?"

"Oh that? Yes I did, aren't I nice? Well actually Madara told me to...You were quite hazy for a while though. I'm going to go eat, I'll bring you back some food," he walked out the room but it wasn't until he got to the end of the corridor did he realise she was following him.

"Yuki-chan, I suggest you stay in my room or you might run into my dear brother and then I can't be held responsible for what may happen," Izuna's voice was suddenly riddled with a darkness she hadn't heard from him before. Or had she?

"He can't kill me..."

"He terrifies you,"

"So do moths but I don't get anywhere hiding away from them," Yukiko reasoned with a shrug.

"Moths can't hurt you," he turned around and walked towards her.

"I've seen some pretty big moths,"

"You've still got concussion..."

Her eyes widened suddenly.

"Get back to his room before I drag you back there myself." Madara snarled from behind Izuna. She opened her mouth to say something before abandoning the idea and retreating.

"And that was necessary, brother?" he asked, turned to face Madara now.

"It is if I wanted to talk to her," he paused and looked at Izuna with a menacing glint in his eye "without your influence," before Izuna could protest Madara had walked off.

* * *

><p>Yukiko laid down on the bed, untying Kiyoshi from her side. She felt lonely all of a sudden and knowing she couldn't ease her loneliness the way she usually did added a lot more sadness to her situation. It was strange that it was the first time since she'd been captured she had felt alone, it wasn't an emotion she was used to feeling either as a person who normally surrounded herself with others.<p>

The door opened and she expected Izuna to walk in, she didn't even bother looking up.

"Ginhana," that dark voice like a rumble of thunder had her sitting up instantly. "I trust you won't raise your sword against me this time," he said as he grabbed it from the bed and unsheathed it.

"I...I won't," was all she could muster up as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"It's been a while since a woman thought she could attack me, I couldn't even recall the last one who did although I'm certain she ended up dead," he said it so coldly and his voice held no emotion whatsoever. But one look told the kunoichi that he wasn't lying at all.

"I see..." Madara glanced at her, their eyes locking for a moment before she looked away.

"No, you don't. If you did you would be on your hands and knees begging for forgiveness,"

"I wasn't raised that way," her tone was barely a whisper. Without warning he gripped at her hair so tightly she felt as though he was ripping it out of her already throbbing skull.

"You'll have to _learn _to be that way if you expect me to keep my temper enough to let you live," a dark threat, enough to make her gasp.

"But..."

"When someone doesn't give me the respect I deserve I tend to forget...who they are and they usually end up dead, regardless of whatever I wanted from them in the beginning," no, _that _part was definitely the threat.

The Uchiha stood up, throwing Yukiko to the floor. Her eyes fell on Kiyoshi who was still in his other hand.

A part of her, a very big part of her, wanted to shout at him to let go of her sword and to just kill her however she had no strength at all to defy him.

"You know what I want from you. Either beg me for forgiveness or hand over the information I desire for you, Ginhana,"

"_Stick with me; it'll all work out..."_

Did she have enough faith in Izuna that if she chose to do neither it would all work out? Was she really foolish enough to let him lead her astray? She would be the one playing with fire if it went wrong and Madara was a fire she would rather stay far from.

"I..." she hesitated even though in her mind this decision was as clear as day. "I apologise for my actions yesterday, Madara-sama, however I can't promise you that's the last time it'll happen,"

Wrong. That was the wrong way to apologise and in her mind she was screaming at herself for it.

_Why! Why couldn't I just say sorry! _

"What?" he dragged her up from the floor and glared straight into her fearful eyes.

They say that if you push a frightened animal too far it'll turn on you. Madara just seemed to keep pushing though, confident in his ability to keep her under control somewhat.

"Please let go of me..." Yukiko pleaded, feeling as though her heart would explode in her chest if it started beating any harder.

"You need to start learning who you're dealing with and where you are. You're not some stuck-up clan leader who inherited her clan out of a pure bloodline," he snarled, the anger in his voice set her off trembling again.

He threw her down onto Izuna's bed when there was a knock on the door.

"Madara, you've got some people from the Azuri clan wanting to talk to you," Izuna walked in, apparently completely unfazed by the scene before him.

"We'll finish this later," the leader promised, throwing down Kiyoshi before leaving the room. Izuna looked over a dark expression on his face

"He has every right to be angry at you...after all," there was a heavy pause as he took in a deep breath. "It was your mother who killed our parents,"

"What?" she shot up in horror, her mouth hung open in shock. There was a silence for a moment before the corners of his mouth slowly curled up as he tried desperately not to smile.

"That look on your face...It's absolutely hilarious! Oh! Wow! You actually took me seriously! I was joking, I swear!" he burst out laughing, leaning back on the wall for support.

"That's a cruel excuse for a joke," she muttered, picking up her sword and placing it back in its sheath.

"So, what's with the sword? I mean you just seem to be totally dependent on it," Izuna asked after finally calming down.

"Kiyoshi is a very important relic to our clan, the diamonds encrusted into the middle of the blade shine even in the darkness and are said to be infused with the souls of all the clan leaders that came before me," Yukiko explained, staring at the pure white sheath it was kept in.

"So you're clinging to the memory of your mother and father in that sword? There must be something more to it, not that I'm familiar with parental love like you are. Our parents were actually killed a few months after I was born," Izuna interrupted, sitting on the edge of his bed next to her.

"Who raised you then?"

"Madara did, all by himself. He never asked anyone else for help; I think it would've been shameful in his eyes if he couldn't cope with his own little brother," he crossed his arms and looked up at the ceiling deep in thought.

"Am I supposed to feel sorry for him? Is that what you're trying to get me to do? My clan was wiped out," Yukiko clenched her fists tightly, her knuckles paling.

"Ha, nothing I can say about Madara will make you soften up to him. I just wanted to let you know why he is what he is. You know who hard it is to control a clan as well," Izuna reasoned, playing his with hair again.

"It's hard however I wouldn't do what he does. I'd never treat someone like nothing more than a piece of meat. I'd never slaughter another clan for something like information on a rival clan. Doesn't he want peace?" she was thinking about all the morals her mother left behind for her to follow, Madara had systematically gone against each one.

"Oh, more than anything my brother wants peace. Peace only comes after a fight though, Yuki-chan. And now...You have to eat," he pulled out a pork bun from his pouch and handed it to her.

"I'm not particularly hungry..."

"You've barely eaten and you were knocked out for like 4 days!" Izuna exclaimed. "So eat before I force you to eat! And before Madara realises I lied to him!"

"What?" Yukiko stood up in outrage, touching the seal on her stomach. "You lied?"

"I thought it was getting a bit rough in here. Besides...You shouldn't use that tone with him..." Izuna's eyes narrowed and his voice was tinged with a sinister tone again.

"Tone? What tone?" she muttered, looking down at the bun he'd given her.

"It doesn't matter," he stood up, patting her head. "But like I said, I want you to last longer than the last one. So don't anger him...For a month just do whatever he says except give him that information,"

She shrunk away from the Uchiha her crimson eyes filled with apprehension. "For a month I should just do whatever, just for your own game,"

"And for your life," he added, the gentle expression returning to his angelic face.

_This guy...Toys with his brother and other people like it's nothing...and does it with a smile as well. Father you always warned me about men like that but wasn't Mother the same?_

"Which will end as soon as I give him the information?"

"Which I assure you it won't, I feel as though you're much too entertaining too let that happen. To attack Madara, the strongest shinobi the Uchiha have ever seen and a man who, if the Senju were out of the way, would conquer this world without breaking a sweat...That takes a lot of bravery," Izuna laughed again.

"I didn't do it out of bravery, I did it out of self-defence and pride," the kunoichi whispered, taking a small bite of food.

"Like reasons ever matter! As Madara always says 'It's results that make history'!" he declared with an overwhelming yet faked tone of pride, as if to mock Madara's own. Yukiko glared at him.

"That's a stupid thing to say. Without reason then there's no point fighting," she scoffed with another bite.

"Oh? Well I guess that's one way of looking at it," he shrugged. "I, personally, don't agree with either of you. I just think that peace is a naive thing that we learn as kids. No one will ever achieve it. So tell me Yuki-chan, do you believe in sea monsters and dragons?" She was confused by his sudden question so it took her a moment to answer.

"No...They're just mythical creatures,"

"So why believe in peace? Actually let me tell you something _really _interesting...You'll want to hear this,"

* * *

><p>Madara wasn't surprised that his brother had lied to him; he still took a moment to sit down in his office with his head in his hands while deep in thought.<p>

The scroll he'd given Izuna was laid out in front of him. He reread it.

_Name: Yukiko Ginhana_

_Position: Head of the Ginhana Clan_

_Affinity: Water, Wind._

_Kekkei Genkai: Ice_

_Parents: Isamu Ginhana and Ristuko Yuki_

_Side-note: Both of her parents led the Ginhana clan, Ritsuko took over when her husband was killed in battle. _

_Land of Residency: Land of Water_

_This is the profile of your target. It is rumoured she is working for the Senju in order to help the assassination of the Water Daimyo. Her motives for accepting this mission, as are the reason the Senju need to assassinate the Water Daimyo, are unknown however if you get any and all information she has and to wipe out her clan then I will provide you with an army large enough to completely wipe the Senju out of history._

_Hibiki Akio_

_Fire Daimyo_

He leaned back in his chair, shutting his eyes while he contemplated the situation he was in. He needed that information as soon as possible but with Izuna now pulling the strings despite knowing what was at stake. Well he wasn't quite sure how he was going to get it from her.

The woman claimed she needed to know what sort of man he was, yet he could tell she was full of pride and still had enough fight in her to raise a sword against him.

Madara could tell he wasn't the sort of man she would come to respect, her methods and his were polar opposites. However with her attachment to Izuna there was a chance his brother could change that opinion.

But he doubted that was what his brother wanted to do. Izuna was in it for a different reason. He rolled up the scroll, placed it back on his waist and left his office, feeling calm enough to deal with the pair again.

* * *

><p>When Madara entered the room he could feel a tense atmosphere between the pair. Yukiko was staring at Izuna as though he'd just told her he was her father reincarnated and he had a smug look on his face.<p>

"Izuna, I don't appreciate being lied to. Get out and away from the door this time," he made no attempt to defy his older brother or even make a sarcastic comment, he simply slinked out silently.

"What's with that look on your face?" Madara snapped, taking the sword out of her hands as he approached her.

"N-nothing, he was just talking..." she replied vaguely, hardly realising he'd disarmed her. Her eyes had a glassy look to them as she looked up at him.

"Talking? When people talk they don't usually end up in stunned silence afterwards,"

"You're not shouting at me yet. I thought you were going to get me to try and respect you," she pointed out quietly.

"If you act accordingly I won't shout at you at all, you need to learn," his eyes narrowed, Sharingan activating.

"I'm not...the only one who needs to learn..." Yukiko couldn't help her apprehension, every time he was near her it was like he sucked the oxygen out of the room with his power alone and it was overwhelming. "Izuna-san told me that you fought your way to the top of this clan. That's impressive but it doesn't make up for the fact you destroyed everything I had. You see you're right, I did inherit my clan and maybe that's not fair but the majority of them didn't seem to mind," her senses seemed to rush back now, even after what Izuna had told her.

"How could you possibly know that?" Madara asked, a cocky smirk appearing on his lips.

"You know, I was raised to lead my clan hopefully to peace. These past couple of days have been horrible dealing with what you've done to me and what you'll probably do to me. But my parents taught me something invaluable that I seemed to have forgotten," her fists tightened as the life seemed to return to her eyes.

"Oh?"

"That even in death, I should never cower away and hide who I am. Madara-sama, I will never respect you as a man however I do respect the admiration you've earned from your clan and I acknowledge you're a much more power ninja than I am. Simply put, you were born with something I wasn't and it's something shameful for me to admit," she paused, looking down to the floor. "You were born with talent. My parents were both talented ninja, I was proud of them but I was born average. However I still have my pride. I took pride in knowing that my clan and my parents believed in me despite being so...normal. Not everyone is born with amazing powers, Madara-sama,"

"I could have easily told you that and to have pride while knowing you're nothing special, that's naive and foolish. I would bet my entire army that you were looked down upon by most of your clan! Except perhaps the blinded women and children who didn't realise just how pathetic their _honourable _leader was," he laughed, the sort of laughter that shook her to the bone in fear.

"There's more to being a leader than power, it takes an awful lot of love and charisma too. You have to give people a reason to be confident in you," her voice was still quiet but she guessed it would be for quite a while yet, she'd have to adapt to the oppressive atmosphere Madara seemed to bring with him.

"The Uchiha have a reason to be confident in me. I've taken out our main threats. There's nothing more we need than power," he pointed out smugly.

"And the information sealed away in me," she added, looking up at him once more.

She actually found herself with a strange thought. He was 21, the same age as she was, and yet he'd made no inclination to marry yet. She was quite shocked that the Uchiha women (at which point she'd decided most of them had to be mad just to be part of the clan) weren't throwing themselves at his feet, or perhaps they were she just hadn't seen it yet.

Unfortunately for all his brutish behaviour, he was in no way unattractive. Quite the opposite in fact, those locks of spiked black hair that trailed down his back so majestically, all the while covering one of his eyes, coupled with his almost olive complexion and rounded near feminine eyes made him very handsome. Not to mention he wasn't dim-witted either. He was a lethal tactician and together with his strength it was no surprise at all he'd taken over the clan.

"That information will be mine," the Uchiha cut the gap between them considerable as he gently rested one hand on her neck. "No matter how I have to remove it from you, you seem to have calmed down but that self-righteous attitude will get you nowhere with me, Ginhana," he tightened his grip ever so slightly to reinforce his point.

"I've already told you it's yours,"

"_Just do whatever he says, except give him that information," _She had what Izuna had told her ringing in her ears.

"Why drag out the useless suffering then?" again, his grip tightened.

"Take that up with Izuna-san, not me. I'm sorry, Madara-sama but he's the one in control right now," now she really was being robbed of oxygen, instinctively grabbing his wrist as he pushed her against the wall behind.

"Tell me, right now what my brother has said to you," Yukiko gripped harder, feeling her feet no longer touch the floor she began to panic.

"I can't! I told you already!" she managed to cry out before adding "Now please just let go of me," she started to dig her nails in, desperate for air but he didn't even flinch at the pain. Instead he moved close enough that he was just inches from her.

"Say that again," Madara growled. Her eyes widening in realisation.

"_You shouldn't use that tone with him..."_

"Please let go of me," she pleaded again, clenching her eyes shut. She was in yet another situation where she wanted to sink into the wall, feeling Madara getting closer and closer until...

"Madara-sama! The Senju are at the gates!" an Uchiha rushed in, he dropped her immediately, throwing the sword down next to her and leaving.

Yukiko sat there trembling; she'd tried to be herself however he'd sucked the life out of her again. She grabbed her sword, still in its sheath and held it close to her as she was crying bitterly.

There was no way of denying it now, she was in Hell and the only way of escape was to abandon what was left of her mother's tattered morals.

* * *

><p><strong>I hate leaving Yukiko crying but if I didn't this chapter would've ended up going on and on for another like 12 pages so here seemed a good place to stop it. So, the Senju have turned up. They'll do that from time to time. XD Gotta keep an eye on that pesky Madara and lil' IzuIzu. Fun fact my hamster's name is Izuna-Wheatley. Soooo review! <strong>

**Here's a new question for you though that's been nagging me a bit. Should I have made Yukiko an above-average ninja or is it better that she's 'average'? She can still hold her own in a fight she's just not godly like Madara, Izuna and the Senju brothers but still...I dunno. :S **

**Anyways! Join me same time, same place next week. The Detective Prince loves you very much! Nyaaaa~ **

**Next Chapter Title: I Feel Like I'm Breaking Up And I Wanted To Stay! **


	4. And I Feel Like I'm Breaking Up!

Morning/Evening all! Wow, chapter 4 is dramatic and depressing...Lots of stuff going on and the first appearance of an important OC. I'm not joking, she's important just not right now. I wish Madara would stop being so mean :'( It's not nice but if he wasn't kinda mean and temperamental it wouldn't quite be Madara would it? XD

Chapter Title: As usual it comes from a song I really like. Bigger Than Us by White Lies. It's an epic song and on my top ten most played list.

Disclaimer: Really getting sick of writing this but it's better than getting sued (Y) I don't own Naruto. I do however own Yukiko Ginhana and Atsuko Uchiha although whether they want me to own them or not is a matter of opinion.

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Four<strong>

**And I Feel Like I'm Breaking Up And I Wanted To Stay**!

It seemed like hours that Yukiko had sat, hugging her knees to her chest, before someone entered the room.

It was an Uchiha woman, tall and slender with wavy black hair and deep grey eyes. She was a maid, a dust pan and brush in hand as she walked in.

"You're Izuna-sama's guest," she exclaimed, bowing despite the confused look on the kunoichi's face.

"Excuse me? I'm being held here actually," she corrected, her hold on her knees loosening.

"Oh, forgive me, it's just he told us all to treat you as his guest this morning. He actually asked me to come and check on you, how are you, Yukiko-sama?"

"Fine..." she was very confused at this point. "It's been over a week since someone's treated me with such respect, what's your name?"

"I am Atsuko Uchiha and respect is to be expected, you are still a clan leader even if you do not have a clan anymore," Atsuko had a kind look on her face and unlike Izuna's it didn't seem fake at all.

"That's one way of looking at it, you're not a kunoichi?" Yukiko asked, standing up shakily.

"I'm not; we have no acting kunoichi in our clan at the moment by orders of Madara-sama. We lost quite a few in a battle about 4 years ago and fearing something like that would happen again he's banned all kunoichi for the time being," she explained, her voice soft and soothing like a bell chime.

"Oh, I see. I heard the Senju are here, is it true?"

"You heard correctly, they are currently in a meeting with Madara-sama and Izuna-sama," Yukiko grabbed Kiyoshi.

"Where's the meeting room?" she asked urgently, straightening up until she realised she was in no condition to into a meeting room, having not cleaned in a while.

"I'm afraid I can not tell you, Madara-sama's orders. Is there anything I can get you, Yukiko-sama?"

"Erm, yes there is actually, Atsuko-san, can you get me some clothes please? I'm going to have a bath," she opened the other door in the room and it did, indeed, lead to a huge bathroom.

"Of course, m'lady,"

* * *

><p>"Ah, Madara-kun, it's been quite some time," Hashirama sat down opposite the Uchiha while their younger brothers sat at their sides.<p>

"It's been great not having you interfering with our assignments actually," Izuna laughed, his hands folded politely in front of him.

"What're you here for, Hashirama? You dare turn up at my stronghold like this and that's all you have to say?" Madara snapped, resisting the urge to stand up in anger.

"Madara-kun, if you continue to be so angry and worked up all the time you'll die young and that's actually the last thing I want to happen to you, for such talent to go to waste would be a great loss to the shinobi world," the older Senju pointed out, laughing softly to himself.

"Are you trying to test my patience or just plain insult me?" he spat, gripping the wood of the table viciously.

"Two reasons, one reason being that our common enemy has chosen to stay here for a few days starting tomorrow..."

"Kouta Azuri?" Izuna asked, looking to Madara. "We can't make a move then though it'd be too dangerous,"

"The second reason is that there are rumours of a certain clan slaughter and a missing clan leader have one thing in common. And that's that both are due to your hand, so I simply wanted to inform you of something," he paused, looking to Tobirama for a moment.

"Yukiko Ginhana and her family have always worked closely with us, if we find any concrete proof that you had a hand in the slaughter of the Ginhana or you've kidnapped or killed Yukiko, we'll show up with an army next time," the younger Senju warned, red eyes trained on Madara that burned with hatred.

"Is that all?" Izuna laughed, thinking of the trouble the Senju would be in if they knew the gravity of the situation.

"Yes, that's all, we're on our way to pay our respects to the Fire Temple so we thought we'd just come and tell you how we felt before leaving," Hashirama stood up calmly, touching his brother's shoulder.

"Madara-kun, please look after yourself. I meant what I said; it would be a terrible shame if you died,"

"I assure you, Hashirama, I'll live for years after you have passed on,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko couldn't say she felt fantastic after her bath but she did feel much better, her white hair gleaming once again.<p>

Covered in a black towel she stepped out and saw that Atsuko had left her a yukata on the bed. It was black with a white floral pattern and a white sash.

It reminded her of the yukata she'd worn to her mother's funeral but she didn't complain.

She'd gotten changed with the towel draped over her shoulders to keep her wet hair off her clothes and her hair untied for once as well and no sooner had she done all this had Izuna walked into the room.

"Yuki-chan, you're dressed! Don't worry, the mean ol' Senju are gone now," he winked at her yet he didn't move from the door.

"I'd rather they'd stayed, Izuna-san. Why am I being treated as a guest?" she asked with a sigh, looking over at him.

"Because you _are _my guest! Now as my guest, I would like you to attend our dinner now," the sly Uchiha gestured towards the door, she hesitated for a moment.

"That would mean being near..." she glanced down to the floor suddenly.

"Near my brother but come on, he's in a bad enough mood he'll just ignore you!" seeing she'd need a tug he leapt forward and tugged her wrist, making her flinch.

"I don't trust you," Yukiko muttered, looking back up at him.

"I never recall asking you to, now come on!" he pulled her again but this time she let him, throwing the towel on her shoulders to the bed as they left.

Now the pair were getting odd looks down the corridors, apparently not everyone had gotten the news that she was now a 'guest'.

Yukiko was blown away by the size of their grand hall, hanging wall scrolls of the Uchiha symbol lined the tables from the ceiling and it was full of talking. Apparently she had been wrong, most of the Uchiha seemed content and their leader was sat at the very front of the hall appearing to be deep in thought.

Izuna let go of her wrist and strode up to the front table, Yukiko trailing behind trying to observe the clan and all the different members' interactions with each other.

"You can tell me, Yuki-chan, you're impressed by our clan, aren't you?" he looked behind him with his head tilted in a curious expression.

"There are so many of you, I'm surprised Madara-sama has control over this many men," and she was being honest, she was surprised and at the same time a little angry.

"Izuna, what's she doing out of your room?" Madara had apparently broken his trail of thought and was glaring at the two.

"Oh, I didn't mention that she'll be eating with us. You have to take care of your pets, brother," she dared to glare at Izuna for being referred to as a pet.

"I've got too much on my mind to argue," the leader admitted dryly.

"Oh? Did our guests today bother you, because I think that's one of the best meetings we've had with the Senju," Izuna began, sitting down beside Madara and gesturing Yukiko to sit beside him. "No one lost their temper, too much. No one ended up fighting and you didn't even stand up and start shouting your head off like usual either. Oh, did you notice all those negative things I just listed come from you?" he asked, laughing.

If she didn't know any better, Yukiko would've thought that Izuna was clearly either insane, stupid or suicidal. Unfortunately she knew better and she knew that Izuna was just an unafraid genius who could only find pleasure when he was manipulating those around him into weird power struggles.

"Shut up, Izuna! You know damn well that Hashirama provokes me!" he snapped.

Unflappable as ever, Izuna shrugged it off. "I can't imagine Hashirama provoking anyone; can you, Yuki-chan?"

She knew she'd be dragged in, she guessed that was the main reason she was brought to eat in the hall in the first place. She took in a deep breath and tried to get into the mindset she'd been raised with.

"I'm not going to comment. I've never been in a room with Madara-sama and Senju-sama and this business is to do with the Uchiha," she explained, looking down at the fresh platter of food that was laid down in front of them.

"Ah! Spoken like a true leader, take some lessons from Yuki-chan, Madara! She never raises her voice or reacts without reason and she always respects others. None of this rough behaviour you do," now she actually would step in, just to keep the meal civil she decided to stick up for Madara at this point.

"That's hardly fair, Izuna-san. You see, I was raised to take over my clan and that means I learnt to be like my mother was. My father was an awful lot like you and he was resented for certain situations he put our clan in. Your clan and mine were very different, Madara-sama's authoritative approach is what's needed in a clan of this size and with goals like yours do," there was a stunned look on Izuna's face momentarily; apparently he hadn't expected her to rise to his bait.

"Well, Yuki-chan, if that's what you think. So about our guests tomorrow?" now both Madara and Yukiko were stunned, he'd dropped his argument. Yes he'd moved onto a new one but he'd dropped a perfectly good argument.

"The damn Azuri, I'm trying to figure out how to deal with that insufferable Kouta. I despise him nearly as much as Hashirama," Madara growled, looking to his brother.

"Oh I hate him too, one of the few people in this world I'll openly say that about!" Izuna went back to his habit of toying with his hair for a moment. "You know what he'll want while he's here," he added darkly.

Yukiko had been trying hard to eat but she was drawn to their conversation. She'd heard about the Azuri and according to her mother Kouta Azuri was a pig ignorant man with nothing but greed and selfishness in his soul.

"I'm aware of that, Izuna. I don't need reminding, especially from you."

* * *

><p>It was midnight by the time Yukiko and Izuna were back in his room, he seemed in a pleasant mood despite the talk of the Azuri at dinner as he twirled around to face her.<p>

"Here's a fun little fact. Tonight will be your first night here, falling asleep of your own accord," he pointed out, an almost honest grin on his face.

"That's true," she whispered, tiredness hitting her now like a wave. She was still concussed after all and felt like she'd spent most of the day pushed and pulled around. Upon further inspection she remembered she _had _spent the day being pushed and pulled around.

She knelt down on the floor, intending to sleep there when Izuna dragged her up.

"C'mon, Yuki-chan, I don't bite unless you're into that sort of thing! If you're worried about anything don't, you're not exactly attractive by Uchiha standards!" never had she been so bluntly insulted with a smile as well.

"Hm, I guess that's one thing I'm glad of. It's quite impressive that there's not a single person I've seen yet with light hair or eyes,"

"Madara will have you believe we're bred for perfection. Besides silly white hair like yours would get us spotted easier, haven't you ever considered dying it?" Izuna was busy with his shirt over his head, his speech muffled.

"I can't say I ever have, I suppose I never saw a problem with it before. In our land you'd blend in with the snow more with white hair and pale skin although our clan wasn't all set to one standard appearance," Yukiko sat on the edge of the bed, thinking back to her clan and how different it was from the Uchiha.

"Really? You've never seen a problem with it?" he asked, now lying in bed.

"No, so what will Kouta Azuri want while he's here?" she turned around, it had been bothering her for a while now why the brothers hated the Azuri so much.

"Oh you don't have to bother yourself with that, Yuki-chan!"

* * *

><p>Kouta Azuri was in no way a pleasant man, nor attractive to make up for it like Madara was.<p>

He was a tall, lean man with scruffy brown hair and wild ice blue eyes; he wore a long robe with bright blues and deep reds adorning it. Behind him was his guard, two beefy looking men with a constant sneering expression.

Yukiko didn't greet him directly but since she was sentenced to trailing Izuna under Madara's orders, something she found strange, she was forced to spend time with him.

The Azuri weren't a very good fighting clan but they were sensors and, essentially, business men and while Yukiko thought that the Uchiha were a bunch of brutish warriors, at least they fought properly.

"You're not an Uchiha," Kouta declared as they reached the throne room.

"No, I am not. I'm a clanless kunoichi, hired by Madara-sama to take care of the women," she bowed respectfully and kept to the story that Izuna had told her she needed to use. In all fairness though, she was a clanless kunoichi.

"Ah, finally deciding you'd better protect your women, Madara-kun?"

_I think I'm beginning to see why he hates him..._She thought to herself, keeping her head down.

"Only when I heard you were coming," Madara scoffed; apparently even he was able to pretend he had a sense of humour when he needed to.

"Well, the lady has no chakra. She can hardly protect your women with no ninjutsu," he laughed.

"My apologies, my main skill is kenjutsu so I don't need chakra," she looked to Izuna for a moment. She wondered if she'd spoken out of turn or been rude, she wasn't used to be this low down in a pecking order and her mother hadn't taught her how to behave like one either.

"Kenjutsu, eh? Chikaru," Kouta barked, one of the men launched her at.

Instincts kicked in and she drew Kiyoshi, blocking his punch. He was strong enough that she was pushed back several feet though.

"I hardly think that's fair!" Izuna laughed as the man lunged for her again. "Release!"

Yukiko felt it instantly, a burst of energy that overflowed within her as soon as the seal faded.

"Ice Style: Deadly Hail!" several icicles shot out as she rushed forward to land to swipe on the guard, stopping just before she actually made contact with him though.

"Merciful little minx, aren't you?" Kouta suddenly announced with a strange undertone, earning him a glare from both Yukiko and Madara. Hers was gone in an instant as soon as she remembered her place but his stayed.

"Mercy is a common courtesy amongst brethren who are not at war," the kunoichi sheathed Kiyoshi and stood behind Madara's seat.

"Is that so? You don't speak like a clanless ninja at all. Tell me, Madara-kun, why bother lying to me when you know, as a master sensor, I can tell when you do it?" he asked, a smug grin on his lips and a raised eyebrow.

"You're not high enough to know who she is or why she's here," the Uchiha stated bluntly, standing up.

"I'm a clan leader who works with you, are you telling me a non-Uchiha has strictly Uchiha access?" it was clear that there was anger between the pair now and the peaceful natured Yukiko looked to Izuna to see if he'd defuse the situation however he seemed to be enjoying this particular argument.

"That's exactly what I'm telling you, yes," there was that thunderous tone again, it wasn't loud just deep and threatening. Madara's Sharingan reacted to the change in his mood, activating instantly.

"My oh my, Madara-kun, you don't scare me,"

_A fool, this man is an utter fool..._She deduced, feeling the electricity in the air making her heart quicken slightly.

"Hear that, Madara? He's not scared of us!" Izuna was thrilled now; his eyes had a gleam to them.

"I respect you, Madara-kun; however my clan does too much for you. You wouldn't kill me,"

"_When someone doesn't give me the respect I deserve I tend to forget who they are and they usually end up dead, regardless of whatever I wanted from them in the beginning,"_

Those words, if Kouta Azuri had heard them himself he wouldn't be talking to Madara the way he was she was certain of that.

"Yuki-chan, I'm sorry to say this but I think me and you have to leave. There's some business talk and although I'd love to carry on listening to this, well...I can't stand this guy," Izuna whispered to her and the pair made their way to the door, she looked back at Kouta and Madara and couldn't help but think that she wouldn't be surprised if this was the first and last time she'd see Kouta Azuri.

"I'll have to reseal your chakra now. You disappointed me," he sighed as they walked out to rooftop; apparently it was Izuna's favourite place to sit and think.

"Because I didn't kill one of his guards? He can't help being assigned to such a horrible leader," the snow had stopped falling but it was still cloaking the landscape, making everything seem much quieter and cleaner.

"You didn't even claim he could be good to his people like you do Madara. You must not like him either. No one does really. Nope, that guy's all round bad. He struts around like a king but his clan hate him, other clans hate him. He suffers from delusions of grandeur," he laughed, making several hand signs and then placing a finger on her exposed stomach, having changed back into her freshly cleaned ninja outfit for the day.

Yukiko flinched and looked down in surprise as the black mark came back, three tomoe around a tiny dot like the Sharingan. It sucked her chakra back from her again.

"That was necessary?" she asked, placing her finger on the centre.

"It was. If me and Madara aren't around I'm sure you could dent our army a little," Izuna mocked, his smirk returning as he looked out to the snowy forest. "So why would someone called Yukiko with an ice affinity hate the snow?"

"For the irony?" Yukiko looked up at Izuna, slightly thrown off at the fact he'd laughed at what she'd said.

"I knew there was a person in that calm exterior. You're wound up so tightly, following your mother's word like it was a religion. Do you even know how to have fun, Yuki-chan?" his observation had surprised her as well. She had spoken to him that she followed what her mother had taught her to be a clan leader however the Uchiha had taken it a step further. What else could she expect for an Uchiha who liked to play mind games though?

"Of course I know how to have fun but being a prisoner isn't my idea of fun. I don't intend to sit around and joke with my captors who killed my entire clan," even though she was saying what was undoubtedly something that was affecting her deeply she was calm as she said it, not a hint of anger could be heard.

"There's an option 2?" Izuna pinched some of the snow in front of him and rolled it between two fingers until it melted.

"Keep my head down, don't get killed and wait until I give Madara my information," Yukiko was starting to feel numb again.

"Then what?"

"I...I don't know. I can't go back to my country and I can't stay in this one. Maybe I'll go find a small house in the middle of nowhere and become a hermit of sorts," he looked at her and laughed again, even though she'd been serious.

"You could become an instructor here, I mean there aren't many people as quick with a blade as you and you know about different poisons," he offered, Madara's falcon had taken flight again, circling above them.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I have to go see him, and you have to follow me while Kouta is here," Izuna jumped up, offering a hand to her. Yukiko didn't take his hand, getting up by herself.

"Why do I have to follow you all day, Izuna-san? I'm sure Madara-sama would much rather I stay in your room,"

"No. Just stay with me at all times," he turned around suddenly, his voice dark again. She opened her mouth to ask him more questions but decided against it.

* * *

><p>If Yukiko had thought their little exchange in the throne room had been tense she was completely unprepared for what was awaiting her in the grand hall for dinner that night, with Izuna attending like usual she had to follow him like a shadow.<p>

Izuna seemed a lot more on edge though now the sun had faded, checking where she was every few minutes. She was always right beside him but something was definitely putting him on edge.

And that something was still being high and mighty and generally talking down to everyone.

"So tell me, little minx," that was her nickname apparently and it made her shudder every time it spewed from his condescending mouth. "What do you see in a guy like Madara-kun that you'd do business with him? I assume he's giving you something good in return..." there was a dangerous look in his eyes but it paled in comparison to the one in Madara's.

Yukiko had to choose her words carefully now that she knew this man could tell when she was lying.

"Madara-sama has spared my life and in return I have decided to help him with certain matters..." no reaction from Kouta yet, "I also admire how he is able to rally so many of his clansmen under a similar cause as my own..."

"Is that so? I sense there's something deeper than that going on. You've been following little Izu around all day, you fallen for an Uchiha? That's a dangerous game," Izuna's fist clenched at the fabric of his trousers, his knuckles paling. He was tempted to get up and leave but knew it'd do him no good.

There were some things even Izuna found intolerable and unforgivable and apparently Kouta was one of them.

"No I haven't. I have a bad sense of direction," she faked a smile, hoping he couldn't detect the lie in a simple gesture.

"We may have to speak more deeply into the matter later, little minx," Izuna shot a look to Madara, who for once was holding his tongue and temper in check.

"Yes I wouldn't mind hearing how you run your own clan; politics within clans has always fascinated me,"

She was shocked at how much she was having to twist her words just so he wouldn't catch her out, this seemed like Izuna's kind of person, so why the obvious hatred?

* * *

><p>Later meant waiting for Madara to tell Izuna he wanted to talk to him alone, Izuna protested a little but dropped it considering his older brother was fit to kill someone and he knew when to back down with Madara. It wasn't often but it happened.<p>

"Stay here, Yukiko," he muttered as he left the room, it was one of the few times he'd called her Yukiko as if to emphasize how much he meant it.

And she did stay there, she laid down on the bed and decided to read through a book Izuna had sitting on the side of his desk which was on Kekkei Genkai. Being a Kekkei Genkai user herself she was quite intrigued and completely immersed in it until...

_Knock knock knock._

"Huh? Come in," she assumed it would be Atsuko or perhaps Izuna had decided to knock in case she was getting changed, something she doubted he'd do but there was always a chance.

"Ah, little minx, I'm glad those two brutish Uchiha are out of the way for now. However, I think we should continue this chat elsewhere," Kouta stood, arms folded, behind his guards.

"Actually I've been told not to leave this room," she pointed out, sitting up and touching the sheath of Kiyoshi which was propped against the bed.

"Come now, little minx, I didn't ask you to and you have no chakra now. We're _telling _you to come with us," the guards grabbed her arms, Kiyoshi slipping out of her grip. She tried to twist round.

"Let go of me!" she cried out, trying to kick her legs as they lifted her off the ground.

She struggled down the corridor and all the way to what she assumed was Kouta's room for the duration of his stay where she was roughly thrown to the floor.

The two guards left, ordered to stand outside and watch for any Uchiha passing by.

"This hardly seems the way to begin a friendly chat," Yukiko snapped, feeling her pride bruised as she stood up.

"Oh? Did I give you the impression this would be a _friendly _chat?" Kouta retorted, throwing his gaudy jacket to the bed. "Well, little minx, did I? I hardly think that dragging Yukiko Ginhana to my room would be considered the grounds for idle conversation,"

"How do you know who I am?" she asked, pressing her back to the door as she glared, her crimson eyes burning.

"An ice user, and a pretty one, with a sword with a blade encrusted with diamonds down its centre. You don't need to be a genius to figure out who you are, Yukiko-san," he flicked some unruly bangs off his shoulder as he approached her.

"You think you can intimidate me after the time I've spent with Madara-sama?" she growled, feeling vulnerable without Kiyoshi.

"How about I seduce you instead?" he slammed one hand to the right of her head, causing her to avert her gaze for a moment.

"You think you can seduce someone with a heart of ice?" Yukiko asked, her cool tone returned for a moment.

"No, I _know _I can. I can take you away from this hell and clear your name, Yukiko, give you back your freedom. Become mine and I'll do all that," he placed two fingers beneath her chin.

"You expect me to move from one Hell to another?" he cut the gap between them even more, her voice trembling slightly now. "At least the Uchiha haven't asked me to give up my pride," it was different from Madara, she wasn't as terrified because she knew this man was just a man not some sort of vicious, ruthless beast.

But as soon as other hand was on her waist she flinched.

"Perhaps I should show you why you should. You have a pretty bounty you know," his face inches from hers as his hand travelled up her shirt. She brought her hands up to push him away but he was stronger than he looked.

"Get off me!" she yelled, panic overflowing within her now, Kouta pressed his body against hers, she tried biting his shoulder but as soon as her mouth was open his lips were crashing against hers.

Her muffled protests did her no good, his full weight pressed against her, one hand grabbing one of her breasts while the other had moved down to the small of her back.

She inwardly cursed Izuna, thinking of the jutsu she could've been able to use to get him away. But she was hit with an emotion she hadn't felt since Daisuke's death. A pathetic helplessness had taken over her. She was trying desperately to fight however she was trapped, not by him but by the limits of her own body.

He pulled back for a moment, looking down at her.

"I suppose that hasn't convinced you from that look on your face, well then..." he took his hand out from under her shirt, a confused look clouding her eyes. "If you'd just relax you'd come to enjoy this, when I take you with me this will be a regular occurrence, my little snowy minx," that name again she shuddered, suddenly his hand was snaking into her trousers.

"No!" she tried to the side to try get away from him but found herself even more trapped, pushed into a corner.

Yukiko tried kicking him next, but the fact was she hadn't been good at taijutsu, never relying on it as she was always carrying Kiyoshi. Her stomach was starting to turn as well, her body trembling.

She felt it suddenly and it took all her strength not to be sick as she felt two of his fingers penetrate her. Every muscle in her body tightened as if to fight it off and keep them from delving any further.

A tear rolled down her cheek and she wasn't sure if it was from fear or humiliation.

"Oh what? You'd rather Izu or Madara?" he laughed, pulling away for a moment before grabbing her and throwing her onto the bed onto of his jacket. "Carry on with the fearful act, minx. It makes it so much better,"

"You disgusting..." in a flicker he was on top of her, tearing at her shirt.

Alarm bells, serious alarm bells went off and from nowhere through all her anger and vulnerability at his violation she managed to pull a punch and a scream. Yukiko hit him square in the jaw and no matter how much it hurt her hand and wrist she didn't hesitate, booting the door and managing to rush down the corridor.

* * *

><p><strong>Yukiko! Ah, I tried to make Kouta Azuri the creepiest I could. My best friend was freaked out by him but you can tell me how I did! I hate that bastard though -.- There was a reason I rated this M by the way...There was this part and future lemons coming up...Not with Kouta though. If I have to write more stuff about him I'll start feeling dirty myself...<strong>

**I'm going to go scrub the Kouta from me now...Ew. **

**Join me next time though! The drama's just getting started...Hopefully there'll be peace for little Yukiko yet but I wouldn't count on it happening soon. Review as well! **

**Next Chapter Title: These Walls Are Painted Red! **


	5. And These Walls Are Painted Red

You're back! I'm glad the last chapter didn't freak you out enough you'd stop reading. Sorry to took so long to put up but I had a lot of editting and stuff to do! XD Ah but Yukiko isn't the only one having a hard time, Izuna wasn't having a fantastic time either. That's all explained now by the way...

Chapter Title: Bliss by Aiden. Strange choice for me but the lyrics kinda jumped out at me while I was writing this so I had to put it down.

Disclaimer: As always I only own the plot, Yukiko, Atsuko and Kouta -.- I wish I didn't own that last one though.

**~ The Detective Prince.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Five<strong>

**And These Walls Are Painted Red!**

Yukiko managed to outrun the guards, their bulky figures unable to keep up with her lithe form. Yet she was hit with a new problem, she was stood in a corridor trembling and her eyes brimming with tears and suddenly had no idea of where she was going.

All the corridors were winding and looked the same and for some reason no Uchiha were idly walking around, perhaps because of the Azuri being around.

Her eyes darted around; even the doors seemed identical to her. Having no better plan and feeling herself beginning to hyperventilate she ran down a nearby corridor, recognising it.

It wasn't the one leading to Izuna's room, it was one she'd only been down once but she remembered it still.

She grabbed the handle of the door at the end, struggling to open it but she finally did, grabbing a katana and launching herself under the bed and curling up finally unleashing all the sobs she'd been trying to hold back.

Moments later Yukiko heard a clicking noise, not from the door she'd opened but from the bathroom door.

Madara immediately bent down and looked at his room's new occupant.

"Ginhana..." he began but held back. He was going to shout at her for rushing into his room but realised she was crying. Although he wasn't a kind man he was in no way completely heartless and couldn't help but wonder, after all he'd put her through, why she'd run into his room to cry.

"Madara-sama, I'm begging you..." that was always a good way to start a sentence in his books anyway. "Please don't send me back to Izuna-san's room. I might not be able to fight him off a second time..." her sword was gone, she had no one to turn to and Yukiko had found herself pleading with the very man who'd robbed her of her clan, her life.

"Get out from under my bed, you're a kunoichi not a child," he sighed, straightening up. She did as she was told, still hugging the katana she'd grabbed close to her though and she couldn't stop the tears or her shaking.

"I'm sorry, I was just...Kind of shocked and when..." one hand had a firm enough grip on her necklace blood started beading up.

"Izuna isn't in his room," Madara stated bluntly.

"I know, so please, don't send me back. I'll get back down on the floor anything, Madara-sama, Kouta Azuri came and dragged me away, took me to his room and started..." before she could end what she was saying her crying became more intense.

Never, _never_ had she cried like this in front of anyone, even her parents and yet she couldn't help herself. She always tried to be strong and icy but she felt it cracking under the intensity of what could have happened if she handed landed that punch. She'd never allowed anyone that close to her or to even kiss her let alone touch her like Kouta had. The thought alone made her nauseous again.

Madara knew what she was trying to say and the strange thing was he didn't seem surprised. He just turned to leave. She instinctively grabbed the hem of his black shirt.

"Please, Madara-sama, don't go," he looked back, Sharingan ablaze.

"I'm not going near that damn Azuri. I'm going to find Izuna and explain to him what's happened. Ginhana, let go of me and sit down. You're under no authority to ask any more of me tonight,"

* * *

><p>Izuna sat on the rooftop, staring up at the moon covering him in pale silvery light. He was deep in thoughts and most of them about the past.<p>

Madara appeared at the door, silent and stoic as usual.

"You don't look very happy, brother," he started playing with his hair as he turned his gaze back.

"Azuri's tried it again," was all his brother said. Izuna stood up and walked down towards him.

"Who, brother?" there wasn't a reply, mainly because one wasn't needed. "Yukiko. Where is she?"

"She _was _curled up under my bed, what she was doing there I have no idea however she's insisting on staying with me for at least a night," he explained wearily.

"You'll let her," Izuna ordered straight away, his own Sharingan appearing.

"Excuse me, Izuna? When did I give you authority to tell me what to do?"

"When I was born your little brother, Madara, you can't let anything happen. I couldn't help Minako-chan but..." he trailed off, looking down.

"Fine, before _you _start crying as well," Madara sighed, the day had been nothing but a drain on him and he wanted nothing more than to sleep it off fully intending to kick out the troublesome Azuri in the morning.

As he turned to leave his younger brother he heard him mutter something.

"Not anymore..."

* * *

><p>Yukiko was sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at the now unsheathed katana in her lap when Madara came back.<p>

"Ginhana, sleep and if you dare try to wake me up without a good reason, meaning there's someone trying to kill you or me, I shall rip that information from your lifeless body," he snapped as he threw his shirt off onto a random spot on the floor.

"I'm sorry for this, Madara-sama," she whispered as he laid down, his back turned to her.

"Did you ask him to do anything to you?"

"No,"

"Then shut up and sleep," although he was being his usual foul self feeling that dense chakra from him was reassuring enough that Yukiko found the strength to lie down and sleep, propping the katana on the wall near her head in easy grabbing distance.

"Thank you, Madara-sama,"

"Uh huh,"

* * *

><p>Izuna paced up and down his room, glancing at Kiyoshi on the floor as he did. There were so few times he'd ever lost his temper that he could count them on one hand.<p>

When his best friend opposed him after Madara had taken over the clan was the first time.

When Tobirama had slandered the way Madara had brought him up had been the second.

And the third has been when Kouta Azuri raped Minako Uchiha, a nurse who'd helped Izuna over the years when he'd gotten badly injured. Minako and Izuna eventually sparked a relationship. Until that incident and Minako, feeling ashamed and broken, had taken her life.

If he hadn't been in battle at the time he would have settled the score with Kouta the moment he'd dared laid a hand on her. And now he'd tried to do it again, to his pet. Not nearly as precious but Minako but that wasn't the point.

The point was Kouta had dared tried to do it again to something that was blatantly his. Yukiko Ginhana..._His _pet, she'd followed him all day and the single moment he thought he could relax.

Izuna grabbed Kiyoshi and ran out of the room. He didn't stop and think of the consequences of his actions, anger completely taking a hold of him like a vicious python that threatened to constrict him until no breath of rational thought was left.

This wasn't like him at all, this was more like something Madara would do, but they had the same blood in their veins didn't they? Did they make Izuna equally capable of killing in cold blood in the name of vengeance? He'd often wondered that himself.

The two guards, when Izuna stood opening the door he barely even remembered killing them.

_This isn't normal..._

He prided himself on always remembering who and how he'd killed, a sign of his compassion in a way. Yet there were two dead bodies either side of him and he had no recollection of killing them. He'd definitely done it though, Kiyoshi was dripping in blood.

"Sorry, Kiyoshi. You'll have to bear with me," he whispered, slamming the door open.

Kouta shot up, instantly horrified by the sight of the Uchiha drenched in blood with a gleaming white sword in his hand and his Mangekyou Sharingan aglow.

"Izuna..." It definitely _looked _like Izuna. But something...Something was off. That white blank rage in his eyes and his whole demeanour was different, more ferocious. For once, Izuna looked just as terrifying as his older brother.

"_Just burn!_"

* * *

><p><em>A young Yukiko sat on a rock in the garden, watching the snow drifting down to the ground. Her mother, Ritsuko, appeared behind her. Her straight black hair looked striking in the snow. Her large dark brown eyes were studying the land around them.<em>

"_Yukiko, aren't you going to practise your Ice jutsu today?" she asked, a gentle smile on her face._

"_I don't want to," Yukiko replied bluntly, even though she was 9 she had a strong enough will to tell her mother when she would and wouldn't do things. Ristuko sighed._

"_You'll never protect your clan with an attitude like that, Yukiko. We all have to do things we don't want to in order to help ourselves and others around us," _

_There was a crunching of snow behind them; a tall muscular man was coming to join them. He had unruly shoulder length white hair and cunning sharp crimson eyes. _

"_Your mother's right, Yukiko, your needs never outweigh the needs of the clan," her mother scoffed as he said this._

"_That's rich coming from you, Isamu. You took over this clan when you were just 14 and the trouble you used to get in was unimaginable," _

"_Well I don't want my daughter to make the same mistakes I did, Ri,"_

"_Do," she interjected. He gave her a stunned look. "The same mistakes you...do," she repeated before laughing. _

"_If you don't want to work on jutsu then come with me, Yuki. We'll practise our kenjutsu,"_

* * *

><p>It had been a while since Yukiko had dreamt of her parents. Despite the fact it'd been just over half a year since her mother had died she barely dreamt of them. When she woke up though, it was still dark.<p>

Madara had gotten up, throwing on a shirt urgently.

"Madara-sama, did something happen?" she muttered, sitting up and wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"No, Ginhana," he glanced over at her, Sharingan piercing through the dark. She was still terrified of him, he was completely unpredictable. She didn't know if she kept pushing if he'd snap and lose his temper again or not.

"Okay," was all she could manage, lying back down with the bed sheets over her head.

She hated this place, each day seemed to be a challenge whether it was Madara's temper, Izuna's mind games or now dealing with other clans as well. But would she rather be in prison? At least this place had a semblance of freedom to it and despite his trickery Yukiko didn't mind being around Izuna and as long as he wasn't shouting his head off she didn't mind viewing Madara as the piece of art he seemed to be.

She hated this place but at the same time, at that moment, there was nowhere else she would rather be and especially not alone in that constantly snowy land she called home.

The sun would come here; it would never come in that world.

* * *

><p>Madara rushed down to Kouta's room, Atsuko having informed him that Izuna wasn't in his room or on the rooftop.<p>

As he got to the room though he was surprised, the two guards lay disembowelled on the floor and inside was Izuna, kneeling on the ground.

Slowly, Madara walked in looking at the charred remains of the rest of the room. Nothing in the room was identifiable anymore all that was left was ash.

"Izuna!" he snapped, grabbing his brother by the shoulders.

"I'm sorry, brother, but it had to be done," he wasn't upset, he just glared up at Madara speaking in that callous tone his brother had always hated.

"Do you realise what you've done? If I could hold my temper surely you could!"

"That's just what I was thinking on my way down here but then I realised something. It doesn't matter. That man was scum, filth and had no right to live. His men didn't respect him; no clan did either so surely I did what was right?" Izuna asked, his voice monotone and his eyes blank.

"You said it yourself it was too dangerous to make a move now. He was under instruction from the Daimyo. That same Daimyo who's hired us, how do you expect me to run an army this size without his endorsement?" he argued, he wasn't at all shocked by what his brother had done but this cold attitude was always worrying.

"We won't lose favour for this. Go look get that information from Yukiko and it'll all be squared away. I mean, you could just kill her and take it from her. Why haven't you yet?"

"You're the one who insisted you'd grown fond of her, besides getting it that way would be..." he trailed off looking behind him.

"Dishonourable," Izuna hissed. "Admit it, Madara, slaughtering a woman for information isn't something you'd do after what..." a slap, and quite the powerful one, cut Izuna off. His brother grabbing him and dragging him up while he was in a stunned stupor, he took Kiyoshi from Izuna's side.

"That's enough, little brother; I'll only say this once. Go back to your room, let me deal with the Azuri situation here and, for now, stay away from Ginhana while you're like this," Madara all but shoved him out of the room before walking down to a guard post and informing them to clean up the mess and mention nothing to anyone else.

* * *

><p>By the time he got back to his room he'd almost forgotten Yukiko was in there, still curled up under the duvet.<p>

"I know you're awake, Ginhana. Your chakra flow is slower when you're asleep," he declared, throwing his shirt off with a sigh.

"Madara-sama, did you find Izuna-san? Is he okay?" she replied, her voice muffled.

"I found Izuna. It's none of your business what happened..."

"He killed the Azuri, didn't he? I'm not a superb fighter like you but I can read people quite well," she pulled her head out from under the sheets. "He was on edge the whole time, when Azuri spoke to me he was desperately trying to suppress his anger for some reason. I don't know Izuna-san very well but I remember him saying 'I hate the guy, he's one of the only people I'd openly say that about' so he killed him?"

There was no point arguing with her at this point.

"Yes, he did. Tell anyone and I'll..."

"Punish me, Madara-sama? I'm smart enough to know that defying you isn't a good road to go down," she whispered, glancing at the katana he was handing her.

She fearfully took it from him. That angry look in his eyes was ablaze and through the dark it seemed even more formidable.

"I think the punishment I received today was for not protecting my clan," she added, placing Kiyoshi beside her.

"You think everything happens for a reason, Ginhana?" Madara growled, lying down with his back to her.

"Would you rather it didn't, Madara-sama?" he had no reply for her other than ordering her to sleep, which she gladly did.

* * *

><p>Madara was gone by the time Yukiko woke up, she touched the side of the bed he'd slept on and found he hadn't been gone for long either. She slowly got up; her eyes were heavy from all her tears from the night before.<p>

The Ginhana checked the bathroom and once she was certain Madara was gone she examined her reflection in the mirror.

It almost seemed like someone else was looking back at her, she didn't look any different but she certainly felt it.

She pulled out a comb from her pocket and untied her hair. She'd never been one to take much care in her appearance however she was starting to grow bored of having nothing to do.

When she was a clan leader there was paperwork, training the men, various meetings to attend and checking the wellbeing of all her brethren. Now she was clanless she found herself bored.

"What on earth do normal women do? Sew, cook and play music? Maybe that's a little sexist..." she said to herself.

"They tend to the men," a calm voice came from the door of the bathroom that made her jump. Madara was leaning against the door frame with his arms folded.

"Madara-sama, I'm sorry I was just..." she glanced at the mirror for a moment before turning back to him.

"Izuna has gone away for a while," he cut her off. Yukiko seemed mildly confused.

"To calm down?"

"No, he's taken it upon himself to inform the Azuri of what's happened. I'll be keeping an eye on you. Consider this your opportunity to learn what kind of man I am," he explained with a smirk on his lips. She took a deep breath in and composed herself.

"I'm sure I'll take that opportunity with an open mind," Izuna had told her she had to forget everything that had come before, because if she didn't she'd never see the real Madara. It seemed dishonourable and nearly impossible but she was willing to work with Izuna for now, after all she had no other choice, and see where it took her.

"Hn, come," Yukiko trailed behind him, struggling to keep up with his long strides. He led her outside into the training field where several of the men were fighting. Even with barely a glimpse she could tell this was different from when the Ginhana would train, these men were elites and seemed ruthless even to their own clansmen.

"Do they ever kill each other?" she asked quietly, surprised she'd actually said it out loud.

"Occasionally, when I'm not around. I find the best way to train is to go all out. It's hard to get experience without the threat of death, that's the Uchiha way," he took a deep, proud breath in and straightened up.

"The Ginhana trained in teams, co-operation is the key to success. That's what my father told me over and over again," Yukiko retorted with a sigh.

"We fight to stay alive, that's the best reason to fight," Madara's blood was boiling. He could feel that urge to join in the sparring, hardwired in him from a young age.

Yukiko said nothing more, worried that if she did she'd end up on the wrong side of the leader's temper. Instead she sat down and watched as Madara 'helped' his men train.

It was the first time she'd seem him fight, other than when she'd challenged him, and he seemed to move even more like a predator. Each elegant dodge was followed swiftly by his own well-placed strike. Not a single blow was off-target, it quickly was becoming more and more obvious why his men respected him and how he'd taken charge of the entire clan.

Her attention was pulled skyward as she realised his falcon was circling lazily above them. It was lower down than she'd seen it before, being able to make out its rich chocolate coloured wing feathers clashing against a plume of white on its chest and underbelly.

It suddenly dipped low and landed perfectly on the ground beside her, staring at her with curiosity in its beady golden eyes.

"Hello," nervously, Yukiko reached out a hand to stroke its head, only to receive a sharp peck from its razor beak. She quickly recoiled away from the bird, guessing that like most things around here the bird only had respect enough for Madara.

"Hoshi," the men dispersed and the bird was summoned to its master's arm.

"He's very pretty," Yukiko admitted, eying it with disdain though.

"Hn, your hand is bleeding," the Uchiha pointed out dryly. She made no reply, her pride getting the best of her as she glanced to the side. Hoshi chirped, setting off into the skies once again with a glorious flap of feathered wings. "You'll at least need to clean the wound," Madara added.

"I'll do it later, it won't kill me if I leave it for a while," she sighed, putting up a sort of invisible wall between them. She felt guilty for admiring his technique, knowing it was these same men who'd killed her clan. The pang of guilt was making her cold again.

* * *

><p>"<em>Madara, before I leave I have a request that only a true brother can fulfil," Izuna declared, mischief burning in his eyes. <em>

"_Oh?" Madara raised an eyebrow curious at what his brother had to say now, knowing it'd only be hassle for him._

"_Take care of Yukiko, I mean it. She'll be as stubborn as you are about this information. Try not to rough her up, instead act like the council handed you her as some sort of prospective woman,"_

"_Izuna, after what happened with the Azuri you really think you can ask this of me?" Madara warned, Sharingan triggering._

"_I do, brother, also try to remember she's still a kunoichi, that sword is the key to opening her up," Izuna left quickly before his brother could disagree, laughing to himself as he did._

* * *

><p>"Draw your sword and come at me," Madara said, kneeling in front of her.<p>

"What?" eye contact, just for a moment she looked into his eyes, taking a sharp intake of breath.

"I want to see what your sword can do," she didn't need telling twice, a flash of light and Kiyoshi was drawn.

"I'm not going to do this the Uchiha way though. I'm not going to try to kill you, Madara-sama," Yukiko declared, as if there was any chance of her being able to anyway.

The leader laughed. "Then you're a fool," he launched a punch straight for her. She brought the side of her blade to her palm and blocked it before twisting Kiyoshi around and aiming for a jab.

Unsurprisingly there was a flicker and Madara was gone. He appeared on her right side, she didn't even turn to face him. He stopped just before hitting her though.

"How long have you been blind?" Yukiko jumped away from him with a gasp.

"What?" she clutched at her necklace, her other hand on her side fringe.

"You didn't realise I was at your right hand side. I've noticed this before as well, nothing can escape my eyes, Ginhana. So I'll repeat my question, how long have you been blind in that eye?" Madara asked, firmer this time.

"It's been three years since my eye was injured..." she looked down to the ground, sheathing Kiyoshi. "I need to sort out my hand; can I go do that, Madara-sama?" her voice was weak.

"Hn, fine. Follow me,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was standing the bathroom, her hand immersed warm salt water which was stinging beyond belief.<p>

"Your bird is very pretty but foul tempered. I suppose animals copy some of their master's personality then," she said, glancing over at him.

"Hm, I'll take that as a compliment for your sake," he scoffed with that smug smirk of his.

"Are you more inclined to getting angry when Izuna-san is around?" Yukiko asked, pulling her hand out of the water and then tried to bandage it up.

"Not at all," he approached her; keeping on her left side and then touched her hand. Automatically she flinched away. "I'm bandaging your hand for you," nervously she placed her hand in his outstretched one.

It wasn't like she'd expected. She'd expected cold skin, rough skin or something more akin to a snake. Instead he was positively human. Smooth skinned and warm blood flowing underneath, not at all like a killer should have been in her mind.

_Does he pity me because of my eye?  
><em>

"Is this all because I'm half-blind?" she sighed.

"If you were an Uchiha, you'd rather have died than lose the light of an eye," Madara's voice was solemn as he finished bandaging her hand. She quickly examined it.

"This is the first time we've talked," Yukiko whispered. "Is the Sharingan really that important? I've seen you fighting, you're talented enough without it," that was two compliments now and the last one hurt her to say more than the first.

He grunted in reply before adding "An Uchiha without the Sharingan isn't an Uchiha at all,"

"Is that what you think? You're defined by your clan?"

"Rich coming from you, Ginhana," he scoffed, walking out of the bathroom. Yukiko shrugged her shoulders and sighed again, following him.

"Can I stay in Izuna-san's room tonight?" she asked quietly as Madara sat on the edge of his bed, one knee brought up in an almost aloof manner.

"Only if you want to be tied up and locked in there, I don't trust easily and especially not a kunoichi," he laughed, she was thrown off by how good a mood he seemed to be in.

"And yet you trusted me enough to share a bed with you last night while I had Kiyoshi. That seems contradictory, Madara-sama," Somehow Madara in a good mood worried her even more than Madara in a foul mood. Her eyes were cast down to the floor as she thought for a moment.

"Ginhana, there are my own selfish reasons for that," he got up, making his way over to her and tilting her chin up with a single finger. Yukiko felt that panic sweep over her, her back against the bathroom door. "I'll inform you of this now, even though I don't want to," his voice was dark now; he was just inches from her.

"If you want to stay as pure as the snow you came from, don't come into my room begging next time,"

* * *

><p><strong>Erm, Madara...Creepy. Anyways! Yup, Yukiko is half blind, Izuna is practically bipolar (He didn't use Amaterasu by the well...Kouta just got fried XD) and Madara is...Well...Madara. Oh and the bird, Hoshi! He's named after a character from another fanfic I wrote which is probably never going to be put up here but I ever do I'll tell you. It's an Itachi one called Iris. Actually that's got a lot of Madara in it as well...<strong>

**As always review! Tell me what I'm doing right, wrong, need to do or, of course, tell me where I'm going with this. I'd like to hear your thoughts on that actually since it's always interesting because I know where it's all going but I don't know what sort of impression it has on other people obviously. It all gets complicated from here on. There's betrayal, manipulation, more fight scenes which I'm desperately trying to put off since I hate writing them and more Azuri! Not Kouta but eh. And I promise that at some point there'll be some romance as well. So join me next time!**

**Next Chapter Title: I'll Make You Feel Pure...Trust Me...**


	6. I'll Make You Feel Pure, Trust Me

Welcome home, big bro! That just put the image of Izuna as a little girl in my head...AH! Been playing a lot of Persona 4 lately. XD So you're back then. That important OC I mentioned is back as well having been missing in action for a bit. I've been playing Okami as well so "Let's rock it, baby!"

Chapter Title: Undisclosed Desires by Muse. My favourite song by Muse actually and it'll probably be my inspiration for a lemon at some point as well! Those will come as well but it's not like it's one of those "they met, they fucked, fell in love...Yay!" fanfics. Noooo, Yukiko's been through a lot already but she gets a break next chapter, sort of, okay she doesn't but she does in Chatper Eight...Sort of. I'm not lying that time!

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto. I wouldn't actually want to thinking about it. I think Kishimoto is doing a much better job than I would (Despite his insane logic). If it were me, Madara would totally win everything and Itachi wouldn't be...ANYWAY. On with the story...To quote Waka again "Just go for it!"

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Six<strong>

**I'll Make You Feel Pure...Trust Me...**

Madara left the room moments later, Yukiko slid down the door to sit down her mouth still slightly parted from something similar to shock.

Her heart was still pounding, her body shaking but not as badly as it usually did, her mouth had gone dry. Had his good mood really fooled her into thinking he couldn't still be the terrifying beast he was underneath?

She placed one hand where his hand been with sudden realisation she'd been left in the room all by herself.

Yukiko shook away her feelings and opened the door slightly; a tall black haired guard turned to face her.

"I was actually wondering if you could find someone for me?" she asked meekly, eying the sword at his side.

"Yes?"

"Erm, Atsuko Uchiha, she's a..."

"I know who she is, allow me," the guard promptly turned and left. Yukiko shut the door again and sighed. Even without Izuna around she was being treated with too much respect for her liking.

"Come to think about it...I wonder how Izuna-san is right now," she made her way over to the window and looked out towards the expansive horizon. The snow was beginning to melt away, not that she'd miss it. The memories snow brought back for her had to be immediately pushed away as soon as Atsuko entered the room.

"You called for me, Yukiko-sama?" she was still as polite as ever, her slate grey eyes gleaming.

"Atsuko, can I ask a favour?" Yukiko untied Kiyoshi from her waist and placed it down under the window.

"Of course, m'lady,"

"I need paper, a brush, writing ink, another set of clothes and a cup of orange juice," the maid smiled, bowed and left.

The Ginhana couldn't help but notice that all the Uchiha she'd seen so far, including the men who'd been training, had been very obedient. Atsuko was so to the point where she seemed to act more as a puppet than a real human. Had it been her clan the women would often come into her office and sit down and talk about the most mysterious of all topics to Yukiko.

Love, apparently the women of the Ginhana had been well-versed in the matters of the heart whereas their leader still remained clueless to it living by the rule that when she felt it then she'd be curious about it.

According to her mother, love was the ultimate trust between two people. Whether it be between a man and wife, mother and daughter or two siblings love was a tower of respect and loyalty.

According to the women, love was coupled with many other emotions. Anger, deceit, pain, and jealousy apparently all these things were perfectly acceptable in the rules of love. It was this interpretation she despised the most however she felt it was probably the truer of the two.

Yet now her mind went back to Atsuko, the living doll, who came back into the room bearing all the things Yukiko had asked for.

"Is that all, Yukiko-sama?" she asked, bowing again.

"No, I have a question that I want you to answer honestly," the maid stood with bated breath at her next request. It was enough to make Yukiko smile. "Can I ask you about love? I know little about it and I want to know what the Uchiha think of it," Atsuko relaxed for a moment, before remembering herself and straightening up. "Relax, Atsuko. And call me Yukiko,"

The pair sat down, Atsuko did so nervously, on the edge of the bed. Yukiko took a sip of her drink and waited for the maid's reply.

"I can say this much. I am in love with a man," that was more than the Ginhana had expected. "However due to my status I will never be with that man. He does trust me above all else though, assigns me with his most delicate tasks and tells me the finer details of his missions," this was a _lot _more than she'd expected, her mouth slightly open in surprise.

"Status has a role to play in the Uchiha clan?"

"Status is everything in our clan. Although it's not ideal it keeps conflict to a minimum. That's what he says..." Yukiko had a sudden horrible thought.

"You're not in love with Madara-sama, are you?" Atsuko gasped and recoiled.

"Heavens no, Y-Yukiko..." she was apparently having trouble addressing her without formality. "Actually it's Izuna-sama, we grew up together,"

The Ginhana had to stop herself from asking _WHY! _And focussed on the last bit of information.

"So you know what Madara-sama was like growing up?" that was something she was _really _interested in.

"Yes I do. He hasn't changed much at all, Madara-sama; he was always intensely passionate about Izuna-sama more than anything else. He wanted to become stronger so he forced himself on the battlefield when he was just 11. It was a terrible time. Izuna-sama used to cling to his brother wherever they went but when Madara-sama would leave him all alone he'd cry. My sister would always comfort him, reassure him there would be a day when Madara-sama wouldn't leave for war anymore and everything would get better..." a sad expression took over Atsuko as she looked down at the floor, a tear forming in the corner of her eye. It was the first time she'd seem real.

"Atsuko, I'm sorry," Yukiko's defences dropped for a moment, leaning forward with a sympathetic look in her eyes. "Do you want to stop talking now?"

"No, I'm sorry, m'lady. Thinking about those times always makes me sad, but it's okay. Madara-sama killed our last leader, Hiroshi-sama, and took over our clan,"

"He killed him?" Yukiko asked, alarmed that there was such a barbaric way to take over a clan.

"Yes, that's how the Uchiha leadership is dealt. The strongest will always lead us. One day, someone in our clan will kill Madara-sama and then we'll have a new leader however I don't see that happening for a long time,"

They were in agreement at that point. Madara seemed to think he was indestructible. Maybe he was though, if you believe something enough it sometimes becomes true.

"May I ask a question?" Atsuko straightened her back, gaining confidence for a moment.

"Of course,"

"Do you have feelings for Madara-sama?" there was a pregnant pause.

"No, I don't. I hate what he's done to me and my clan however at the same time, I have a terrible feeling that there's more to this than meets the eye. I find it hard to believe that there were Uchiha around at the exact same time I was, I was out for four days which I don't remember however there must have been a large Uchiha force near my clan. It all seems very convenient," she explained, looking down at her folded hands.

"I understand,"

"You know something, don't you? You said that Izuna-san tells you everything about his missions," Yukiko realised, glancing over at the other woman.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you..."

"This is my clan, Atsuko, my uncles and aunts and my only cousin was slaughtered. If you can tell me anything that would help me understand _why _this happened...Give me something that will help me," Yukiko kneeled before her, pleading and her eyes were practically screaming all the emotions she was feeling deep down but there was hardly any to be read in her face.

"I don't quite know but there was a mission scroll Madara-sama has on him right now they got from the Fire Daimyo, it has his seal on it. Izuna-sama told me he was going to get you the night you came here, he said I was to look after you as well, he had your profile on hand and gave it to me," Atsuko wasn't willing to give her everything, but she'd given her _something _more than what she'd been given before. It was something tangible.

* * *

><p>Madara walked down to his office, searching through his desk.<p>

He pulled out a scroll, unravelling it and then sitting down.

It was notes from Izuna on how Yukiko had been acting around him and he drew one conclusion, the word that was repeated over and over again.

_Guarded._

He couldn't exactly say he hated a challenge but he had a distinct feeling this woman would lead him to more trouble than she was worth. Probably not more than what that information was worth though. And nothing was worth more than an army large enough to crush the Senju. Even his brother acknowledged that the future of the clan relied on the downfall of the Senju. And for that they'd sacrifice each other.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was at the desk, writing out on the paper. She'd finally found time to spend on her favourite past time. She loved writing diary entries and all that had happened recently was dying to be put on paper.<p>

She had a theory that maybe if she wrote it all out it would make more sense and her thoughts would straighten out.

Madara walked in, the door opening being the only sound made as he did so.

"Ginhana, what're you doing?" he asked, placing his hands on her shoulders which made her jump.

"N-nothing, Madara-sama, I was just writing," she turned the papers over quickly.

"I hope you weren't planning on escaping,"

"And going where? With whom? To do what?" she asked, that tightness in her chest had returned. He was sucking the warmth from around her again.

"You could go get yourself arrested by the Senju, you could try going home, or you could try and find Izuna," he listed, leaning down until he was next to her ear on her right side.

Her grip on the brush increased exponentially. Wait..._Try and find Izuna?_

"You've lost track of Izuna-san? Shouldn't you go look for him?" she was quiet now, just above a whisper as she spoke.

"I could, however he does this whenever he kills someone. My brother is a lot of things but he's not a killer. I, on the other hand, well you know about me,"

* * *

><p>"<em>Aunty Yuki!" Yukiko stopped walking down the snowy path and turned around, a small blonde haired girl with large hazel eyes running down to see her. <em>

"_Megami-chan, what're you doing out here all by yourself?" the girl reached her, undoing her puffy jacket and pulling out a rabbit. _

"_I was out playing with Snowy-chan! What're __**you **__doing here all by yourself, Aunty Yuki?" Megami laughed, holding the rabbit out to her. _

"_I was just going out for a walk, there's no point living with all this snow if you can't enjoy it, how's Snowy-chan's leg healing?" Yukiko took the rabbit and carried on walking once she took Megami's hand. _

"_His leg is all better, that's why we're out playing. Plus dad's out on a mission," there was a sudden downtrodden expression on her face._

"_Is Uncle really on a mission? I didn't think I'd have assigned him to one so close to your birthday..." she muttered to herself before smiling down at her cousin._ "_He'll be back soon though," Yukiko said with a smile.  
><em>

"_Yup and then we'll all have dinner at my house and Snowy-chan will be there too!"_

* * *

><p>Yukiko shook the memory away with a shudder. Yes, she knew all about Madara Uchiha. All about his crimes against not just her but many other clans as well, could he really defend himself with 'it was all for my clan and for peace'?<p>

"I understand, Madara-sama,"

"Hn? I didn't realise there was something to understand in what I said," Yukiko had hoped he'd move away from her however she was sadly mistaken. If anything he moved closer to her, she could feel his breath on her neck now.

"M-Madara-sama..." fear, why was she always so scared? The battles she'd been in, the deaths she'd seen and one man could create such fear within her that she was rendered speechless by his presence drawing closer to her.

Someone knocked on the door and entered, it was the spiky haired guard she'd spoken to before.

"Madara-sama, the Azuri are headed here and we have no sign of Izuna-sama. We're awaiting your orders," Madara straightened up immediately and Yukiko stood up and turned around.

"I'll deal with this myself," he glanced back at her, smirking. "Follow me, Ginhana. Release," the seal had disappeared and her chakra was flowing again. She grabbed her sword and followed him, this being the first time she'd left the Stronghold since she'd been brought into it.

The snow had frozen in place, but Madara managed to run ahead of her perfectly silent. She wasn't even sure if he knew where he was going yet the way he was moving with such determination she was certain he had an idea.

"Madara-sama, why did you bring me?" Yukiko was trying desperately to keep up; he suddenly stopped and looked up at the sky. Hoshi was flying above them.

"He's lost the trail. We'll have to..." she weaved several hand signs.

"Ice Style: Ice Thread Net!" with a hand on the ground several strings of ice spread out around them like a spider's web. She kept a finger on the centre of the ice. Madara stayed still and silent as she shut her eyes, concentrating on the tiniest movement of the ice.

"4 and a half miles east, they've stopped moving," she muttered, getting rid of the threads.

"That's why I brought you," Madara said, launching off towards the group she'd detected. "How many are there?"

"There are 8 of them; one of them is considerably stronger than the others. Madara-sama, surely there's a better tracker than me in your clan,"

"There is. However, I wanted to see if you could actually be useful other than that scroll," Madara slowed down a bit to allow her to catch up. She didn't make any reply though, drawing Kiyoshi as they got closer to the Azuri.

"The Azuri are sensory ninja, is there really that much of a threat if they're trying to get revenge?" Yukiko asked, watching his body language. He wasn't concerned at all. "So you're testing me..."

"You should go," he stopped, gesturing her to continue on.

"Why? This is Uchiha business," the kunoichi stopped moving as well, feeling as though her loss to Izuna had damaged her confidence. She didn't want to fight for a clan who'd stolen everything but that look in Madara's eyes spoke volumes. She didn't have a choice.

"Go,"

She glanced over as the group began to move into the clearing near them.

"I won't kill them," she promised, breaking cover and landing in the centre of the clearing in front of them.

Yukiko hissed as she glanced up at the leader of the group. If she didn't believe in Madara's word that Kouta Azuri was dead she would've thought he'd escaped and come straight back to the Stronghold. The man leading them was his spitting image, even to the way he stood and spoke.

"Kouta's hunch was right; there was a little white fox in the Uchiha Stronghold. I'm afraid we'll be taking you away from your little Uchiha friends now," the man laughed, waving a hand at the men behind them who dispersed.

Her eyes turned to where Madara had been, he was gone and she guessed he'd deal with the other Azuri.

"Who are you?" she asked, turning back to the Azuri.

"I am Kai Azuri; I presume if you're here my brother has met you. That disgust in your eyes tells me all I need to know," those ice blue eyes were piercing, putting her on edge.

She took a step back; something glistened on the floor near where Madara had been. A small bottle from the looks of it and a hooded figure swiftly retreated. Kai made no indication he had noticed this happening though.

Yukiko prepared her opening jutsu.

"Ice Style: Surging Barricade!" she brought up a wall of ice that headed straight for Kai. As he leapt away to avoid it she darted across, grabbing the bottle.

It was in the shape of a crescent moon and she recognised it instantly as her own, taken from her when she'd been kidnapped.

It was small enough to fit in the palm of her hand, quickly unscrewing the lid and pouring the contents into her sheath and placed Kiyoshi back into it.

Kai ran for her, trying to kick her.

"Water Style: Gunshot!" Yukiko managed to spit a ball of water into his face and then redraw Kiyoshi and sliced at his legs.

She then withdrew several steps and waited.

He fell the ground, growling in anger and then there was a puff of smoke.

"A replacement jutsu...Maybe I underestimated him," the kunoichi sighed, her eyes searching for the real Kai.

A bolt of lightning shot out from one of the trees behind her, but just as she went to avoid it time seemed to slow.

"Or a genjutsu, I see...Release!" She felt his hold on her disappear, standing back where she had been with the bottle in her hand.

However Kai was nowhere to be seen, immediately she tried to use her ice threads to detect him. He was chasing another shinobi not far from where she was. But she was certain it wasn't Madara he was after.

Yukiko stood still after calling back her threads and thought about her options. She could escape, that was the first thing she thought of however someone had handed her poison back to her and her curious nature was alit again.

She sighed, tucking the bottle into her pocket and leaping into action.

* * *

><p>Atsuko stood at the large gates of the Stronghold. She was out of her maid uniform for a change, wearing a jade green kimono instead and her waves of hair tied up in a neat bun.<p>

"Waiting for someone?" a voice asked from behind her.

"Shouldn't you be guarding Yukiko-sama, Hayate-kun?" she glanced back at the guard, with a sigh.

"She and Madara-sama have gone out to deal with the Azuri. Are you worried about Izuna-sama?" he ran a hand through his spiked black hair.

"No, I just wait..."

"There are plenty of other men, Atsuko-san, many who would ask for your hand in marriage if you were to so much as look at them. I understand that Izuna-sama is a great man but this seems as though you've given up on life itself for him," Hayate tried to stay in control of his own emotions but as soon as he said his piece he regretted it. He knew the sort of answer she'd come back at him with and they were words he didn't want to hear.

"Izuna-sama is more than a great man. He is a loyal friend and brother and he was the only one who understood my pain when my sister died," she gestured to a guard to open the gates. "Forgive me, Hayate-kun, but if I don't stay by his side then I have no place in our clan," her Sharingan activated for a moment, something that hadn't happened to her in a while.

Atsuko smiled gently and walked out of the Stronghold while Hayate clenched his fists in frustration.

* * *

><p>Izuna turned back and smirked, he could tell that his brother had created quite the reaction within Yukiko and she'd even fought Kai.<p>

He still ran though, feeling the Azuri hot on his trail, it would be a disappointment if he was caught now. Suddenly he heard several thuds of icicles hitting the trees around them. Azuri was down and Yukiko was headed for him.

Izuna sighed and sat down on the branch as he saw her white hair bouncing up towards him.

She stood in front of him, blinking several times.

"Izuna-san..."

"Hey, Yuki-chan, how's it been at home?" he laughed, leaning back on his hands.

"What're you...It's been fine," Izuna quickly looked to his right, taking note that another ninja had been taken out and now there was just one left.

"Have you been giving my brother a fair chance like you promised?" Yukiko shifted from one foot to the other, it was subtle but he picked up on it.

"I've been trying to," he got up as the last Azuri ninja was killed. "Where are you going?"

"I've got business to take care of. Hope you liked the present I gave you," he used the Body Flicker Technique and was gone in a flash.

"Ginhana, come," Madara appeared beside her just as suddenly as Izuna had left.

_So he's avoiding Madara..._

She nodded following behind him silently. He'd decided to walk, taking a rare moment of peace out of his day.

Yukiko had no complaints though, deep in thought about the strangeness of Izuna's actions. His actions were usually strange but he didn't seem the type who'd avoid his brother, knowing how close the pair were.

The Uchiha stopped, turning to face her.

"You didn't kill Azuri," he stated, his eyes cold.

"I told you that I wouldn't kill them. Besides he ran off in the middle of our fight," she actually made eye contact with him this time; it didn't put her fear at ease like she'd hoped.

"It hardly matters now though, I had to deal with him myself," Madara took a step closer to her; she was unsure whether to take a step back watching his body carefully.

One hand quickly darted up and snatched her wrist, pulling her close to her.

"This is actually the part where you apologise and beg for forgiveness, like usual," that dangerous look was in his eyes again and his arrogant smirk had returned as well.

She knew this closeness as well, experiencing it with Kouta Azuri before, that feeling of nausea hitting her she looked into his eyes again.

Before Yukiko could even react to that darkness in his eyes his lips were on hers. She raised her free hand to try and push him away but it was pointless, there was no way she could stand up to someone of his power. Kouta had been different; he had been _just _a man.

But before Madara she felt utterly powerless, his lips like satin as they gently caressed hers. He released his grip on her wrist and placed his hands on her waist pulling her even closer.

Her body betrayed her, whether it was out of fear or it was charmed temporarily by Madara's beauty she didn't know, but it started to respond to his now hungrily possessive kiss.

* * *

><p>Izuna sat in a nearby tree watching the pair with a triumphant grin. To say everything was going the way he thought it would was an understatement. He glanced down to the base of the tree where the other onlooker was standing.<p>

Atsuko looked up at him as he gave her a thumbs up and leapt down beside her.

"Is this what you wanted to happen, Izuna-sama?" she whispered, her eyes back on the pair now.

"Yep, force two people together and you can have endless fun with them. I told her to forget what Madara had done while I was gone. Did you tell her about the scroll?" he asked, making sure his voice was only heard by Atsuko.

"I did, she'll realise what's happened soon but then what?"

"Then she's all ours, I've just made sure this," he pointed at them "Had to happen so she'd be alive long enough for my plan to unfold properly. My brother won't grow bored of her as quickly now," he turned his back on them and walked away with Atsuko silently following him.

"What if she falls in love?" he looked back in surprise before laughing softly.

"Then that's even better. Imagine that, being in love with the man who slaughtered your clan...Fairy tale stuff, Atsuko. You'll give her the locket and then come meet me here later," he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving Atsuko to watch over Yukiko alone.

She had to admit of all of Izuna's 'playthings' Yukiko was becoming a favourite. She was kind, respectful and deep down she was passionate as well. But her weakness came in her shyness and inability to act at times and when you're shadowing Madara those were two things one couldn't have.

So Atsuko guarded her from the shadows as she'd been instructed to.

* * *

><p>Yukiko felt his own want running through her veins, she was trying to reject it though trying to push it away but the way his hands ran up her back, the light growling in his throat and the way his tongue intertwined with hers caused a strange reaction in her as she gently released a small moan.<p>

His muscles tightened as soon as she did. There was a crack from somewhere close by, Hoshi swooping down towards them as they broke away from each other.

"That bastard..." Madara snarled, darting away as even Hoshi seemed confused.

Madara found Atsuko quickly enough, she didn't even bother hiding from her leader.

"Where's Izuna?" he snarled, fed up with being view as nothing more than a toy by his _younger _brother.

"Forgive me, Madara-sama, I was simply out walking. I didn't mean to interrupt you and Yukiko-sama," she bowed, she had permission from Izuna to lie to Madara and although she didn't do it often she knew how important this was to him.

"Get back to the Stronghold now, and I suggest a defenceless woman like you get out of the habit of taking walks through this forest alone. I just had to kill several Azuri," he snapped, walking back to Yukiko and Hoshi, who had bitten Yukiko's hand again.

"This bird simply refuses to like me," she pouted, batting the bird off her shoulder. She was visibly flustered, even shaking slightly and unable to even look in his direction.

"He's reacting to your nerves that and he only answers to me," Madara held his arm out, the bird swooping effortlessly onto it. His golden beady eyes gleamed with joy as Madara stroking his chest feathers.

Gentle...Although it was only towards a bird she was surprised that the Uchiha would let his guard down for even a moment and display affection so clearly. She had an inkling that this was what Izuna wanted her to see however seeing him like this hardly erased what he'd done just moments before.

"Let's head back, I have work to do, Ginhana" she nodded, looking away as soon as Hoshi took flight. They walked in silence, Yukiko feeling drained all of a sudden, forgetting how it felt to expend chakra.

"You're not going to put the seal back on me?" she asked, looking up to the paling blue sky. How long had it been anyway? She was beginning to lose track of time without a strict routine.

"Would you like me to? I believe myself capable of keeping you under control." he scoffed, pulling out a kunai and twirling it around one finger just to give his hands something to do and avoid the new urges he was feeling. It was annoying for the leader to be aware of something he couldn't have but the last thing that would get him that information was to show her _that _side of her, perhaps after he had that cursed scroll but definitely not before.

"How would you stop me just encasing you in ice? That's something basic I am capable of, Madara-sama,"

"You think my Sharingan wouldn't notice something like that? You severely underestimate me, Ginhana," he laughed. The truth was that Yukiko didn't underestimate him at all, she was very aware of the fact she wouldn't even try to harm Madara without him hurting her first. She heaved a heavy sigh.

"I understand, as I said earlier I have nowhere to go,"

* * *

><p><strong>Hm, something tells me Yukiko is going to be very annoyed with herself later...<strong>

**So, what do you think Izuna is actually up to? Plus, Atsuko...There's a lot more to her trust me but I love writing about her since she's so calm, reserved and complex. She's also very noble. Plus Kai Azuri, not as bad as his twin but still a bit weird. He'll be popping around every now and again. **

**Join me next chapter for some of Madara's back-story, and some of Yukiko's, according to The Detective Prince! **

**Next Chapter Title: Far Away, Long Ago, Glowing Dim As An Ember...**


	7. Far Away, Long Ago, Glowing Dim

Wow Chapter 7 already, mainly because I finished chapter 10 quicker than I thought I would. Good times! By the way, I wasn't going to have Yukiko's flashbacks in this chapter but then I realised if I didn't none of her actions thoughout this and next chapter would've made any sense. And as I predicted, Yukiko's very pissed at herself for what happened in the last chapter. Mostly though this chapter focusses on Madara's hellish past. I'm not sure I captured the amount of pain he's experienced yet but I'll try and make it as heartbreaking as possible since tragedy is my business!

Chapter Title: Once Upon A December from Anastasia. It's a good film, horribly inaccurate but lovely and that song really reminds me of Yukiko for some reason although I've already decided on a 'theme' for her (The Truth Beneath The Rose by Within Temptation).

Disclaimer: Yup still nothing on the whole owning Naruto thing. I do own...Yukiko, Kai, Atsuko and Hayate.

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Seven<strong>

**Far Away, Long Ago, Glowing Dim As An Ember...**

Yukiko wandered down the corridors aimlessly, it was past midnight at least but she was too restless to sleep after what had happened with Madara in the forest.

She wasn't angry at him, it was just the sort of thing she'd expected from him actually, she was bitterly angry at herself and her apparent lack of control.

However Izuna was _insisting _she had to take Madara as he was, which was rather difficult to do when one brother is an arrogant self-righteous leader and the other is a master puppeteer playing the whole clan against one another in some way, shape or form.

She was so busy wrapped up in these thoughts that she managed to walk into Atsuko, who was heading for Madara's room.

"Oh, Yukiko-sama, can I ask you a favour please?" she stuttered after apologising several times, Yukiko sighed. She'd been hoping her and Atsuko had gotten past the 'sama' thing but apparently she'd been wrong.

"Of course, what do you need from me?" she folded her arms and looked over what Atsuko was wearing. In a kimono she seemed even more doll like than before, it was shocking to think that she lived and breathed.

"I was wondering if you could give this back to Madara-sama. It's very precious to him and I've only just managed to get another chain for it," Atsuko handed her a chain with a silver locket, the Uchiha fan engraved onto the front of it and it was large enough to fit in the palm of her hand.

"Sure, what's in it?" she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious, so far the only thing that seemed precious to Madara was an angry bird and his brother with whom he always seemed angry with. Anger seemed to be the running theme in Madara's life.

"Oh it's one of those picture lockets, it holds two pictures. It's very precious to him but it got damaged in his last battle so he asked me to fix it. Just tell him it's as good as new, thank you," she quickly left Yukiko holding the locket in confusion.

_What is it with this clan and just walking off without answering things properly? _She thought to herself.

She walked back to Madara's room; or rather she continued to walk around until eventually finding his room which had taken her an hour to find again. All the while she'd been telling herself she wouldn't look inside the locket, that it wasn't right to take a look at something that was clearly precious to someone without them knowing. .

However as she stood about to open the door and realised that if she didn't look now she probably never would, Yukiko caved. With a click on the side of the silver oval the door flicked open.

The first picture was of Izuna and Madara, presumably he had placed this one in himself, when they were about 8 and 5. It was bizarre to see him as a young boy since she knew what he looked like now. Izuna had that angelic face of his, even then and Madara seemed happy, those creases beneath his eyes were less pronounced and not a hint of anger was seen in his grey eyes. It was even stranger to see Madara smiling a genuine smile instead of the arrogant smirk she usually saw him with.

She flicked the glass door over to see what the other picture was of, guessing it would be of Izuna and Madara again. It wasn't though; it was of a beautiful woman and a handsome man.

She instantly knew they were the brothers' parents, Izuna had his mother's face and pale skin. Her locks of deep blue hair were like the night sky. Their father was equally charming; Madara was the spitting image of him to the point in which she almost thought it was him.

Yukiko shut it slowly, she realised there was a tear in her eye. It made her think back to the times she had had with her parents, all the things they'd taught her, the things they'd talked about and the comfort and warmth they'd given her.

And Madara and Izuna? They'd had nothing of the sort, she couldn't even begin to imagine what growing up must've been like.

She placed the cold silver against her forehead for a moment as she tried to stop herself from crying.

* * *

><p>"<em>Mama, why doesn't Daisuke-kun like me anymore?" an 8 year old Yukiko asked, walking into the traditional looking family room where her mother and father were reading quietly.<em>

"_Daisuke-kun? It's not that he doesn't like you, Yuki, it's just..." Ristuko glanced over at her husband to better explain the point she needed to make._

"_Daisuke is very sad right now so maybe he just doesn't want to play with you right now," Isamu sighed, beckoning his daughter over to him._

"_Well why is Daisuke-kun sad?" she folded her arms, unimpressed, and sat on her father's lap._

"_Because he doesn't have a mother or father anymore," he didn't expect her to understand the concept of death just yet though._

"_Where did they go?" _

"_They became stars, Yuki," her mother added with a sigh. _

_"Like grandma did? So if he doesn't want to play anymore, what should I do? I can't play by myself," Yukiko pouted, looking up at Isamu._

"_Just ask him if he's okay, and if he cries don't tell him he can't just hug him until he stops and tell him it'll be okay because you're his friend. Can you do that, Yuki?" he asked, unsure if he'd quite grasped how to deal with recently orphaned children himself let alone if his daughter had. _

"_Okay! I'll be his friend and then later he'll want to play with me again!" _

* * *

><p>She shook her head though, trying to rid herself of her thoughts and tears as she opened the door.<p>

Madara was sleeping; just as he had been she'd left. She placed the locket down on the desk, realising there was writing on the back as she did so.

_To my darling wife Tsukiko,_

_With all my heart, Ren_

"Ren and Tsukiko...That's nice," she whispered to herself, finding it strange that a husband who clearly cared so much about his wife would have a son that would grow to be as bitter as Madara seemed to be.

It was yet more proof to her though that even the Uchiha were capable of feeling love.

Madara stirred, Yukiko quickly and quietly placed the locket down in case he woke up and then she slowly made her way to 'her' side of the bed, although she was quite content with sleeping on the floor Madara seemed to have no complaints about sharing his bed with her no doubt because of the 'selfish reasons' he'd spoke of before.

As she sat on the edge, fluffing her pillow though she realised, even through the dark, there was a pained look on Madara's face and that he was muttering softly to himself in his sleep.

Apparently even the mighty Madara Uchiha had nightmares; she couldn't help but wonder what about though.

As she laid down beside him though she caught tiny bits of what he was muttering though, the main words being 'mother' and 'please...'

* * *

><p>"<em>Papa! I had another bad dream that you and mama turned into stars like Daisuke-kun's mama and papa did!" she sobbed leaping into her parents' bed.<em>

"_Oh, Yuki, don't cry. We're right here. We'll always be here for you," Isamu soothed, stroking her head affectionately. "Now get some sleep and don't worry, we'll still be here in the morning,"_

* * *

><p>Yukiko's head hurt now, if her thoughts before being given that locket weren't confusing enough now they definitely were. She was torn between staying cold and then genuinely taking Madara for what he seemed to be becoming before her.<p>

Complicated. Madara was beyond complicated actually. She had seen the older brother, the leader, a picture of the son, even the bird owner but in the back of her mind she remembered the torturer and interrogator and even the murderer. How can all these be the same person?

She sighed, knowing what her father would've told her to do. Yukiko stroked Madara's hair, finding it to be soft despite its scruffy appearance, just as her father used to do to her albeit with a bit less warmth.

His eyes fluttered open for a moment, that dark grey she found less eerie however more painful to look at, she took her hand back instantly and whispered an apology before turning over and falling asleep.

* * *

><p>Atsuko walked out to a nearby hut in the woods usually unseen by anyone who didn't possess a powerful Sharingan.<p>

Izuna was lying on the futon inside, reading a book.

"I gave Yukiko-sama the locket. When are you returning to the Stronghold?" she asked, Izuna gesturing her to sit next to him.

"I'll be returning in a week, did she take a look inside?"

"She definitely seemed curious about it, what do you think?" Atsuko knew that he would know, his ability to read people was uncanny.

"Yukiko will. She wants to know about Madara's past. I'm not sure why, maybe because hers means so much to her but she'll look and then she'll realise who Madara is and why..." Izuna snapped the book shut and looked up at her with a grin. "I'm keeping her here for as long as I can, I've even offered her a job here but she probably thought I was joking,"

"Why did you offer her a job with us?" now his motives were becoming even more convoluted.

"I think she has potential to be a good kunoichi. If he realises that women can keep up with him you get your job back, life as a maid doesn't suit someone like you, Atsuko," Izuna laughed, she wasn't quite sure if it was at her expense or not though. "You're not going back tonight by the way,"

"What? Why? I'll have to be in Yukiko-sama's room later to talk to her about Madara-sama," Izuna seemed sad suddenly sighing. "It's that time?"

"Yes, it is. So tonight you're staying here, how long has it been?"

"Not since Yukiko-sama came here," he untied his hair then ruffled the back.

"Yea, that sounds about right,"

* * *

><p><em>Loud bangs and screams filled the night outside their room. Madara sat, holding his sleeping baby brother close to him and just waited. <em>

_The door flung open and the sound intensified for a moment before it was shut again. _

_Tsukiko looked over to her sons cowering in the corner, she took a deep breath in and smiled gently._

"_Madara, come here, we've got to get your down to the fortress cellars with all the other children," she knelt down and held her arms out to him. _

"_I'm not going," he sobbed bitterly, Izuna stirring slightly. _

"_You've got to go; I'll be down there soon as well. Me and your father will be so be a good boy and take Izuna down here. You don't want him to wake up, do you?" she turned quickly towards the door as she heard the fighting getting closer and closer to their room. She told herself over and over again to stay calm. _

"_No!" truth be told, he was too scared to move. He was more scared of the fear he could see in his mother's eyes than the actual horror he couldn't see outside. She was smiling but shaking, comforting but absolutely terrified. _

"_Please, Madara, do this for me," had his mother always had that many scrolls tied around her belt? She was the curator of the archives but hardly ever seen with more than one or two essential scrolls on her at any one time. _

_He managed to stand up and was coaxed to his mother's side. The door opened again. _

"_Ren, I'm taking Madara and Izuna down there now," Tsukiko gasped at her husband's bloodied clothes and face, most of it wasn't his but he was injured as well. _

"_There's no way you can get down there now, thankfully our elites have turned up but that's just made the fighting worse right now. We'll have to stay here and defend this room," Ren grabbed a chair and used it to block the door and then looked to his sons._

"_You two get down under the bed, they'll be here in a minute," he unsheathed his sword, a dragon etched down the blade. Madara did as he was told without any argument now, curling up underneath the bed and held Izuna close to his side. He pulled the sheets up just an inch to see what was going on; he never ever trusted something he couldn't see as his father had always told him._

"_Tsukiko, you'd better stay back," the door was blasted open suddenly. Four ninja going for Ren, he managed to kill one right away. Madara pulled the sheet back down sickened by the sight of blood and went absolutely silent, still keeping Izuna by his side and making sure he didn't wake up. Thankfully he'd always been a heavy sleeper. _

"_Ren! No!" his mother released an ear piercing scream. He covered his brother's ears instinctively however that still left that sound engraved in his own mind. _

"_Hand over the scrolls, Uchiha, and maybe we'll make your death more merciful," _

"_Like hell will I! I am the curator of this clan and if you dare try and take these scrolls from me you will regret it from now until the end of your time in death!" Madara peeked out again, his mother surrounding by the remaining three ninja. He noticed the noise outside was getting quieter and that he couldn't see his father anywhere._

"_You talk tough but you're just a librarian with an ego," one of them scoffed, punching her. _

_"I...My Sharingan..." she hissed, grabbing her eyes._

"_These gloves let me suck out your chakra, no chakra then no Sharingan," he laughed. Madara felt his heart pounding now, Izuna stirred again this time his large grey eyes staring up at him. He placed a finger to his brother's lips hoping he'd stay silent. _

_However luck wasn't on their side, Izuna began to wail attracting the attention of the other ninja. Madara gasped, cradling his brother as his body began to tremble again. _

"_Please...No...Mother...Please..." _

"_Don't you dare!" _

* * *

><p>"Madara-sama!" he shot up, breathless and drenched in a cold sweat. There was a hand on his shaking arm as well. It took him a minute to breathe properly again and then he dealt with Yukiko, looking at him with what he expected to be sympathy instead it was something closer to an understanding look.<p>

"You have night terrors?" was all she asked, kneeling next to him. He didn't answer her, nor did he make any inclination to try. "You realise I had them too after my father died? I know..."

"Let go of me, Ginhana," she sighed, letting go of his arm and lying back down.

"Perhaps it's not my place to comment, Madara-sama, but you should talk to someone,"

"You're right," she nearly sat back up again as he said this, wondering if she was actually dreaming herself. "It's not your place to comment," he heard Yukiko laugh softly to herself. The first time he'd even heard her laugh and it was at him. "You're not as quiet and polite as you lead everything to believe, Ginhana. I can see through your illusions,"

"Madara-sama...I..." he laid back down and pulled her suddenly close to him, turning her around to face him as he did so. One arm placed under her waist while the other kept her head on his chest. She tried to push herself away from him but he simply held her in place.

"Consider it a punishment for waking me," she was going to argue that if she hadn't it would only have made the situation worse. She was much too tired now.

Madara stared up at the ceiling deep in thought though. He wasn't weak or fearful anymore, definitely not the pathetic boy he had once been and yet those memories plagued him.

He was determined to leave them behind though, as soon as he'd seized control he'd ordered that the archives be sealed completely, that only he'd have access and yet he'd never opened them again.

The room where his parents had died had been completely cordoned off; the corridor was unstable anyway so it'd been abandoned ever since. He'd hoped in doing so those memories would be sealed away as well.

However every once in a while they'd come back sometimes more vague than others but that time it had been as though he was back there all over again. He was that helpless, pathetic child again...

Madara looked down at the woman asleep on his chest as well. For someone who hated to be touched she was taking well to her 'punishment' falling straight back to sleep.

He couldn't even fathom what games Izuna had already started playing with her though. He doubted they'd end well for either him or her.

_Why does she go running off with him then? She hangs on his every word...I get it she hates me but Izuna is my brother. Okay maybe I forced the two together but only because I trust him...No I don't who am I kidding?_

He growled quietly to himself in frustration. It could all have been so easy. Torture her, get the information and then release her off to go get kidnapped by some other clan and by that time it would've been none of his business and he would've taken out the Senju.

Instead his brother had turned her into a puppet, killed the leader of the Azuri, run off and left her in his care where he proceeded to...Well he'd kissed her and was now trying to hold back every lustful feeling he had within himself.

It could all have been so _very _easy.

* * *

><p>Yukiko awoke the next morning feeling more confused than when she'd gone to sleep. She yawned, snuggling her head closer to the comfy pillow she seemed to have acquired and lifted her hand up to rest on it as well.<p>

Once again she was in a situation she'd rather have never realised she was in. Slowly her eyes rose up to see Madara apparently fast asleep, her head still on his chest.

"My...punishment," she blinked several times before gradually and quietly trying to move away from the sleeping beast.

"Move and I'll bite you," he hissed, opening his eyes slightly to look down at her.

_Bite me? _She didn't even dare to breathe for a moment, all the air stuck in her chest. Was this the time to use idle conversation to defuse the tension? What could you idly say to someone like Madara?

"I'm sorry for last night, Madara-sama, I was out of line," he laughed, pulling at her hair slightly to get her to make eye contact with him again. His Sharingan span as he gently spoke to her.

"Go back to sleep, Ginhana,"

* * *

><p>Izuna leapt out of bed, feeling fully refreshed at last. Atsuko gazed up at his shirtless form with a tiny smile.<p>

"It's quite late in the morning, Atsuko. You're late to check on your precious Yuki-chan," he yawned with a stretch.

"I am, forgive me. I'll be going in a moment," she stood up and changed out of her kimono into a spare uniform she kept in the hut.

"Fine, thanks for staying with me," she turned to leave. "Atsuko, make sure Madara is okay. I want to know that my brother is dealing with this," this made her smile again, she was glad he still cared enough about Madara to show this side of himself to her.

It only took 20 minutes to get back to the Stronghold and she ran all the way up to Madara's quarters. By the time she got there she had to creep in, finding Madara and Yukiko asleep.

Atsuko found the locket, partially open on the desk.

_She looked __inside; I see..._She glanced back over to the sleeping pair only to find Madara was awake.

"Atsuko, there'd better be a good reason you're in here while I'm asleep," he groaned, sitting up and moving Yukiko onto the other side of the bed.

"I was making sure Yukiko-sama gave you your locket back, I gave it to her last night," she bowed and went to leave.

"Hold on, Atsuko. When did you see Ginhana last night?" he was suspicious of her, like usual. Her closeness to Izuna had her marked as a possible spy for him.

"Oh, she was pacing up and down the corridors looking very confused and upset. I was coming to give your locket back to you but I was concerned by her behaviour and wanted her to go back to your room so I asked her to bring your locket to you instead," the maid explained, a glassy look in her eyes as she tried to make her lie unreadable.

"I'll have to lock the door next time," he was always in a foul mood after sleeping in late, getting up and grabbing the locket from the desk.

"If you don't mind me saying, Madara-sama, I hardly think that's necessary. She came straight back here and this is only until Izuna-sama gets back," she left before he could counter her argument.

Madara's muscles clenched involuntarily as he put his locket back round his neck while thinking about Atsuko and Izuna. He clicked the door open, inspecting the two pictures with a sigh.

Yukiko moaned suddenly, causing his attention to instantly avert to her instead. He sucked in air sharply deciding to leave for training before anything untoward happened.

_People say I have no self-restraint..._The Uchiha thought bitterly to himself as he strode down to the training grounds, he couldn't help but smirk triumphantly though. Every once in a while he'd walk around the Stronghold and think to himself that all of it was _his._ His clan, his fortress, his army and the land surrounding them, well that was his as well.

The only thing that could possibly have made him feel better is if he could look out his window in the morning, see the peak of the Senju stronghold that he could only really see on clear sunny days and think that's mine as well.

Actually the thing Madara craved most to own was the entire world and everything in it because only with total control could he assure himself no one would _ever _make him feel like that tiny pathetic boy ever again.

* * *

><p>Yukiko made note that being forced asleep by the Sharingan made her wake up feeling hung over. Her head ached, her eyes felt like they would explode each time she opened them in the bright room. The Fire Country...always famous for its fantastic weather and yet there she was curled up under the duvet, sluggish, confused and still bitterly angry at herself.<p>

"Yukiko-sama, you're awake," It wasn't Atsuko but a male voice, one she was certain belonged to the guard usually outside.

"Apparently so, what time is it?" she rasped, poking her head out of the duvet just a little bit.

"It's just past noon; I came in here to check on you. Madara-sama is training all day so is there anything you'd like to do?"

Yukiko was quiet for a minute, it was exactly the same as yesterday she had no idea what people did with their time.

"Can I go eat first? And then...I would like to read something," she sat up; as her father had always told her, migraines only kill the lazy.

"Of course, I'll be waiting to take you to the kitchen in a moment," the guard made his way to the door before she stopped him.

"Your name?"

"I'm Hayate Uchiha, I've been assigned to you as your personal bodyguard," he ran his hand through his hair nervously.

"By Izuna-san?"

"No, by Madara-sama,"

* * *

><p><strong>Hm, I know that seems a weird place to cut off but again if I didn't it would've been a REALLY long chapter and I wanted to put what happens next under a new chapter title. <strong>

**So a question as always...If Yukiko isn't as 'quiet and polite' as she leads everyone to believe how do you think she really acts? I mean it's in the next chapter but I was just wanting to hear what you thought, it always makes me happy! Oh yea and she wasn't crying earlier over Madara more over the memories of her past. Pesky memories...-.-  
><strong>

**So I hope you didn't hate this too much and review! I love reviews they're like...like...like Izuna to Atsuko. XD By the way they didn't sleep together well they did but they didn't have sex...She was just there for comfort, as usual. That girl needs backbone -.- **

**Next Chapter Title: Your Beauty's Not Just A Mask!**

**My favourite chapter I've written so far, the next one. XD  
><strong>


	8. Your Beauty's Not Just A Mask

Warning! This chapter contains copious amounts of a new yet temporary Yukiko (It'll all be explained). XD I had a lot of fun writing that. At the same time it's quite the important chapter to her, she learns a lot and there's a huge shift in the relationship between her and Madara (No, she's not madly in love with him). Not only that but we get a glimpse of real/unafraid Yukiko which I love. Plus at the end it's like, well okay!

Chapter Title: Second time I've used this song it's Undisclosed Desires by Muse.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did I think I'd have lots of money which would be nice! XD

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eight<strong>

**Your Beauty's Not Just A Mask!**

Four hours of training, if one hour left him feeling refreshed four hours left Madara practically euphoric.

Until he realised his 'roommate' wasn't in his room.

"I knew I should've locked the door, where's that damn Hayate?" he slammed the door shut and headed off down to the nearest guard post where two Uchiha nervously told him that Hayate and Yukiko were down in the kitchen and had taken several large scrolls with them.

"Why would you need scrolls in a kitchen?" he whispered to himself as he walked down to the kitchen door.

He could hear laughter, and it was definitely hers. He almost didn't want to open the door for fear of what was behind it, what sort of twisted scene he may be greeted with.

Madara did though and he was horrified by what he saw.

Yukiko was sat, in her ninja outfit with her legs crossed, scanning the records of his army with great interest while a scared looking Hayate watched her.

"Madara-sama, forgive me," he muttered, bowing. "She's already eaten nearly 10 pork buns and 2 bowls of rice," there she was laughing again.

"What the hell is going on here?" Madara tried to keep calm but he was just as confused as her poor guard seemed.

"Madara-sama, I'm reading through the names of all the people in your clan. I'm bored and was hoping to memorize them," that only cleared one matter up

"You've eaten too much, Yukiko-sama!" Hayate seemed more flustered now.

"Hardly, haven't you notice I hardly eat anything? I get these bursts of hunger though and it makes me really chatty as well which is why I said we'd stay here instead of interrupting Madara-sama," now both matters were solved however that didn't make her behaviour any less bizarre.

"And the sake? Did you have to drink two bottles of sake as well?" Madara was starting to understand why her bodyguard seemed so worried, why she was laughing and why she seemed to be totally unafraid of anything around her.

"That was because I was confused, so to stop my confusion I drank a cup of sake but it didn't help so I had a bottle. The second bottle was just for fun," Yukiko giggled and shrugged.

Perhaps Madara was most surprised because he had never had her down as a drinking type of person; she seemed much too..._pure_ or rather level-headed.

"Yukiko-sama...you need to..."

"I'll deal with her, go take a break," the leader cut him off however Hayate didn't seem to need tell twice, sprinting out of the room. "Ginhana, get up and go to bed," she just stared at him, before bursting into a quiet laugh.

"Madara-sama, can you tell me the name of all the men in your army?" she asked, closing the scroll.

"Of course I can't, that'd be ridiculous and a waste of my time! I have battles to fight and men to train!" he exclaimed, grabbing a bottle of sake she pulled out from behind her. "And stop drinking! You're supposed to have once been a clan leader!"

"I knew the names of each and every one of my clansmen. It's a special talent, I remember everything I read. Now, I have another question," she, shakily, got up and walked over to him. "Can I see the mission scroll you were given by the Fire Daimyo before I came here?"

His eyes narrowed, she knew but for how long had she known he'd had it? Was that what Izuna had told her?

"It's Uchiha business,"

"I'm a non-Uchiha with strictly Uchiha access, that's what Izuna told you," her crimson eyes were hazy as she flicked her side fringe out of her face for a moment.

Scarred. Her right eyelid had a tiny sliver across it; it had a completely glassed look to it even though it was real. It made Madara hesitate for a moment, something else that had been hard-wired into him as a child was to fear blindness.

"I'll have to remind you that I'm the Head of the Uchiha _not _my brother," he growled, she shook her head and laughed.

"No, you don't. You lack several things Izuna does...You're actually quite the passionate person and I doubt he can rally an army quite like you. No, Madara-sama, you don't have to remind anyone who you are," a whimsical smile appeared on her lips. "You're Madara Uchiha and I am absolutely terrified of you to the point in which I had to get drunk to actually talk to you. Don't you realise it by now? The women here are either terrified of you or find you extremely alluring," another laugh.

"You need to go lie down, Ginhana," he said firmly. She took another step closer to him, finding her confidence now; she was less than a metre from him.

"I do, but I want to tell you something while I can. I'm very confused, Madara-sama,"

"Drinking two bottles of sake does that to a woman," he pointed out.

"No, usually I can hold more than that but your Fire Country sake seems to pack more punch, which is weird 'coz hardly anyone in here seems to drink!" now Madara couldn't help but chuckle quietly to himself. A proud woman, an honourable clan leader drunk off two bottles of sake and this same woman shared a bed with him. The gods truly hated him.

"Stop laughing and listen to what I'm telling you, I am very confused. I want to hate you so much, I want to despise you and I want to feel sickened by your very presence, but these last few days I've hated you less and less even when you...you know..." she seemed flustered suddenly, waving her hand in front of her as she tried to find the right word.

"Kissed you?"

"That...Yes...Then you have a night terror about your parents and then I think about _my _parents. I wish you weren't so damn bitter. My father always told me 'Yuki, nothing comes from getting angry and yelling, you upset yourself but you still don't change the situation so what you need to do is put your hands up and say that in time it'll all be okay'" Madara was growing tired of this conversation now but was fascinated in the effects of alcohol on the Ginhana.

"I don't need your pity or your advice, Ginhana, all I need is..."

"My information! Wow, you need to get a new line, Madara-sama! You ever even stopped to think what I'm going through here? You robbed me of my _life_! So I sit here day in day out being polite, being quiet and hoping that if I do so you won't kill me! And why don't I want to be killed? Because I'm sitting here hoping for my _dear _life that maybe, just maybe, if I live I won't be disgracing the life my parents gave me!" she pointed at the ceiling several times. "So I'm asking you this, Madara-sama, is there a single bone in your body that feels a fragment of remorse for what you've done to me! Answer me _honestly_! Please, just give me that decency of the truth!"

Madara was silent for a moment, although drunk she seemed to be watching him very intently and was trying to be serious. He took in a deep breath. If she wanted an honest answer he'd give her one by all means.

"I didn't want to slaughter a clan that posed no threat to me, your clan's death was marked by the Fire Daimyo who promised me an army large enough to destroy the Senju if I killed your clan and gave him the information you hold within you,"

There was a heavy silence. In her intoxicated state she had no idea how to react and felt several feelings and thoughts at the same time.

Madara was being honest with her and that made her opinion of him better, just a bit.

Her real enemy seemed to be the Fire Daimyo, she knew full well that no one goes against a Daimyo's orders when they've got a huge clan to take care of.

Perhaps it was just the liquor talking but Madara seemed to be giving her a very...lustful look.

"I want to see your mission information please," she held out her hand to him, he sighed and complied with her wish hoping it'd keep her quiet. She was too drunk to remember any of this happening anyway.

It took her a while to process the information handed to her, it clearly had the Fire Daimyo's mark in it and it was definitely his handwriting and even more definitively it said to kill her clan.

"Thank you, Madara-sama!" Yukiko was still smiling, still laughing and handed him back his scroll with nothing more to say other than 'thank you'.

"You're not going to swear revenge on him?" Bizarre, she was just too bizarre in this state. He found women strange but she was by far stranger than most of the Uchiha women he'd come into contact with. Perhaps it was the different clans or just the fact they came from different countries but she seemed much more mellow than the tightly wound by Uchiha.

"Madara-sama, he's a _Daimyo _and I am a clanless kunoichi. I'm really not going to stand a chance...You have very soft hair," she whispered suddenly, as though she'd only just remembered something.

"Now you will come back to my room and sleep, Ginhana," Yukiko shrugged, there was so much she wanted to do...So many places she wanted to go to and in her mind she could do _anything. _

"Only if..." she looked around the room for a moment, apparently side-tracked by something, "You give me a hug,"

Madara found himself laughing at her again. She _hated _being touched, she flinched away even from his brother and here she was demanding a hug from him.

"I suppose I'll have to drag you back to my room then,"

"Carry me!"

"No, you do remember I am a leader. It's a position of respect and I will not be seen carrying your drunken body around," he snapped, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the kitchen.

"You won't carry me but you'll pull me around..."

"I still have control over you, you're not walking all over me just because you've had two bottles of sake!" he growled. He missed Yukiko quaking in fear at his very presence however at the same time this one seemed so..._desirable_.

"I'm not walking! And you're carrying another bottle of sake," she pointed out as they turned into the corridor leading to his quarters.

"In the vain hopes that if you drink this one you'll pass out and if not I can hit you over the head with it," he glared back at her; she was still smiling and still unflappable.

"Or you could drink with me! Drinking is more fun with two people! Hit me over the head with it and you'll ruin my puffy white hair..." Madara sighed; his patience was wearing thin indeed.

"Your white hair will be the last thing you'll worry about, trust me," he booted the door open and threw her onto the bed where she laid out head tilted up as she inspected her surroundings. He threw the bottle of sake at her next which, despite how intoxicated she was, she managed to catch.

"Madara-sama, are you mean because you want to be or have to be?" she asked, sitting up to undo the bottle.

"I'm not 'mean' I believe the word you're looking for is 'fair'," he sat down on his desk and watched her down the entire contents of the bottle without even a hint of hesitation before answering him.

"No, you are _mean_. You won't even drink with me, anti-social Uchiha," how had his good day come to this? He'd been _fine..._happy even and now he was sat in his room talking to a clearly delirious Yukiko about whether he was mean or not and why he wouldn't drink with her.

"You wouldn't want to be around me while I'm drunk, Ginhana," he sighed, he had much more patience for drunk people than usual.

"Yukiko! For...ah! Just call me Yukiko. I _hate _my last name more than I hate my first...Silver Flower...There's no such thing as a silver flower,"

"Silver birch..." he interrupted, she stared at him stunned for a moment. "Silver fir and the silver maple, all of them are plants that are silver," Yukiko laughed and laid back down on the bed.

"They aren't flowers...You still owe me a hug," she sulked, folding her arms and glaring at him.

"No, just go to sleep before I put you to sleep," he warned darkly. The kunoichi sighed, getting up and making her way over to him.

"You don't understand," she went to put her arms around his neck but he quickly grabbed them.

"No, _you _don't understand. If you're drunk, you don't think properly and you hate me remember? You don't like being anywhere near me,"

"I never told you what group I was in. I'm terrified of you, I don't hate you...as much as before...and I find you very very attractive," she laughed, he could smell the sake on her now. It made him wish he could get as drunk as she was so he wouldn't have to remember this night. "Let me close to you while I can be,"

This woman...This normally _icy _woman was dangerously close to his fire. Those densely lashed crimson eyes were staring up at him, that faint pink across her cheeks and his grip slackened slightly. She seized her opportunity and forced herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck and breathing in the sweet scent from his hair.

The gods were laughing at him, he could almost hear them. His hands moved down to her waist, trying desperately to control himself.

"Soft Madara-sama," she whispered, he wasn't soft, no way in hell. She pulled away from his neck and looked at him, smirking when she realised his Sharingan was deactivated. "What're you giving me that look for?"

He pulled her even closer to him, she yelped suddenly before he pushed his lips to hers. She welcomed him this time, kissing him back with all the passion he was giving her.

It actually threw him off for a moment, completely unsure of what his next move would be. He pulled away from her, taking her hand and pulling her onto the bed with him.

He gently moved her hair from her neck before hungrily sucking at her pulse causing her to whimper as she ran her hands through his mane. Once he was satisfied he'd marked her he looked back into her eyes.

"Madara-sama..."

"Sleep, Ginhana," his Sharingan made light work of that particular task.

Madara quickly got up and moved to the bathroom knowing that by the time she woke up she'd have completely changed back to that icy Yukiko who he had complete control over.

He knew she'd be more trouble than she was worth, although he was wondering why he hadn't asked her for the scroll while she was drunk, surely it would've been the best time to do so she was definitely intoxicated enough that she'd, for lack of a better word, _wanted _him.

Honour, Madara had that fickle thing to worry about. He wanted that information so badly and yet he'd passed up a perfectly good chance because...what sort of man would he be if he'd taken it from a woman who'd lost all her morals?

"_Madara-sama! You ever even stopped to think what I'm going through here? You robbed me of my life!" _

He punched the wall beside him in frustration. He was being an idiot even thinking about it, even thinking about her.

"_Soft Madara-sama," _Soft Madara indeed...

* * *

><p>Yukiko woke up the next morning even worse than the day before, sprawled out on her side of the bed feeling like someone had repeatedly bludgeoned her head from the inside.<p>

She remembered eating a lot and then giving in to the temptation of sake, which had been her guilty pleasure when she was a clan leader. After that she remembered Madara, something to do with the Fire Daimyo however she felt as though she was missing something important.

Madara was nowhere to be seen as she dragged herself out of bed and wandered into the bathroom.

Looking in the mirror was a mistake, she had heavy bags under her eyes and her hair was very dishevelled. She pulled out her brush and quickly tied to tame it before the Uchiha returned, no doubt he'd mock her for her behaviour or she'd be faced with another punishment.

She pulled her hair back to tie it up loosely like usual but stopped part way. She licked her finger and moved it across a purple mark on her neck, assuming she'd somehow gotten ink on herself.

"Oh damn, what did I do?" Yukiko buried her face in her hands. "Why do I do these things to myself?"

"Because you're weak," his voice made her jump and turn to face him very quickly.

Ah, the fear was back.

"I'm very sorry, Madara-sama, for anything I did yesterday that was unacceptable," she whispered, looking down at the floor.

"Do you remember what you did?" his laugh wasn't as terrifying as she remembered it to be, but this was a different type of laughter. Before it had been malicious now it was almost...playful.

"No...Not really...I was in the kitchen, eating and drinking and then you came in, I don't remember much after that except you handed me a mission scroll from the Fire Daimyo at one point," her heart was hammering now. "No, I remember what was in the scroll. My..." a trembling hand covered her mouth "He ordered the death of my clan," A wave of nausea hit her now.

Yukiko rushed down to the toilet and was sick. A violent reaction but not one Madara hadn't expected.

"There must have been a spy in the filthy Senju," he scoffed; hopefully this meant they'd have a common enemy now.

"You're wrong, Madara-sama. I...Release..." she put her hand where the seal had been and a scroll appeared.

"Is that?"

"No, it's not the information you're looking for. It's my briefing over the assassination of the Water Daimyo," she stood up gingerly and handed him the scroll.

_Yukiko Ginhana, I hereby require your services for this most delicate of operations. You'll be collaborating with your allies, the Senju, in order to complete this assignment. _

_I believe it is in your highest interests to escape the harsh landscapes of the Land of Water and I am willing to give you a stretch of land where your clan may exist peacefully however this can only be achieved if you help me._

_I wish for you to assassinate the Water Daimyo, ending his tyranny will bring great peace to your land and you will no longer be under his control. Surely even you can understand that your people deserve to live in a free land. _

_Hibiki Akio_

_Fire Daimyo_

This he had not expected and he certainly didn't like being made a fool of.

"He was the one who ordered the Water Daimyo's assassination...And in order to cover his tracks he sent me after you by luring me with promises of beating the damn Senju," Madara's muscles tensed as he held in his anger. This was just another person using him like a puppet. He was a mercenary leader _not _a dog.

"It would seem that way. I'll be honest with you I'm not sure where we go from here,"

Wait did she just say _we_? She wanted to retract what she'd just said but there was no point now. They both wanted to know why they were getting played around by Hibiki Akio.

"I'll go speak to him about this matter. You're coming with me," Madara sighed after a moment of pondering.

"Wait, I'm coming with you, Madara-sama? Why?" Yukiko rinsed out her mouth before following him down the corridor.

"Because Izuna isn't here and for now," he turned around suddenly and smirked at her, a finger against the bruise on her neck. "You're mine,"

* * *

><p><strong>This is the shortest chapter I've written but there is a reason. One, Madara and Yukiko have formed the most awesome get-your-own-back fighting duo (He seems a lot more into it than she does despite the fact that she's lost more). Something tells me Madara is going to be a bad influence in pure little Yukiko...What would her father say, eh? I can hear Isamu crying...<br>**

**Two, the point of this chapter was just to get that shift to happen after that we've moved onto a different subject completely. It reminds me of something GLaDOS says in Portal 2 "You like revenge, don't you? Everyone loves revenge! So let's go get some!" **

**My question! How pissed do you think Madara is right now? Seriously...**

**Next Chapter Title: A Spoiled Little Prince I Was Not! **

**Guess who's that talking about? ;) Enjoy and review!  
><strong>


	9. A Spoiled Little Prince I Was Not!

Chapter Nine! Woo! I've been working hard on this one (Not to say I don't work hard on all of them)...Anyways. So the world's weirdest dynamic duo are on the move! Yay! Also, since I have nothing else to put here, I have an addiction to Creme Eggs and Orange Tango. While writing the end part of this chapter I ate 6 Creme Eggs and drank 2 litres of Tango. My parents don't think that's very healthy but I'm stuck at 8st (which is underweight for my height) and I do nothing but eat fried chicken and chips. Weird, eh?

Chapter Title: Oedipus by Regina Spektor. Can't help it, the song reminds me of Madara for some reason, maybe it's just that one line.

Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto...Reminds me of the Old Spice ad for some reason! So review and enjoy!

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

**A Spoiled Little Prince I Was Not!**

Madara and a still hung over Yukiko left the Stronghold that day, she still didn't quite know what he was planning on doing but a part of her really wanted to find out.

"Keep up, Ginhana, I want to be there by sundown," however trying to surge forward full speed ahead with a man ruled by his quite frankly ferocious temper who had yet to say what he was going to do wasn't exactly motivating her to move faster.

"Of course, Madara-sama, what're we doing when we get to the palace?" she was praying he was going to say something along the lines of 'we'll talk to him and see what's going on' instead she got...

"I'll tell you later. We've got to keep moving ahead though however I doubt the Daimyo will be glad to see us. For now we'll get there as fast as we can,"

We? Us? Personally, Yukiko had stopped caring long ago, she probably had stopped caring the night before, yet she was grouped in with the recently scorned. She'd lost her clan and that was irreversible to her, now she was just trying to continue the life her parents gave her with some dignity. Instead she was being led on some sort of quest by Madara Uchiha.

But it did mean she was outside for a change and although it was still cold it wasn't snowing anymore, not a trace of it was on the ground now. And the fresh air was helping with her hang-over slightly.

"Are you sure acting on impulse is the way to go about this? I'm sure it can wait till Izuna-san gets back so you can form a better plan," he glanced back.

"Really, Ginhana? I never had you down as such a coward. Where's your pride? Do you really want this man defiling the memory of your clan with his pathetic games?" on any other day she would've answered immediately instead she sighed and rolled her eyes as he turned away.

_When the hell did he care about the memory of my clan? He's just trying to justify the acts of his own_...She thought bitterly to herself.

"If I recall correctly, it was your clan who did the defiling," she pointed out, why did she have to be so proud at times?

"I was under orders to! That man thinks he can get me to do whatever he wants by manipulating me..."

"You mean like Izuna-san does?" she was hoping if she annoyed him too much he'd give up this death wish he seemed to have however it just seemed to be spurring him on.

"Izuna is my brother and he doesn't manipulate me, he just plays mind games with everyone. There's a difference though, his games don't end up with people dead because of his own selfish desires," Madara explained however she still seemed unimpressed. Yukiko seemed the type of person to take a lot from someone yet when pushed she could react very badly.

"I see, do you think this is what's best for your clan?"

"Only I know what's best for the Uchiha. You think I'd lead my men to their deaths? You may have a poor opinion of me, Ginhana, but what's a general with no army? A bird in hand is better than two in the bush,"

She wasn't at all surprised he'd chosen to use that particular phrase, all she did in response was pick up her pace a little to keep up with him.

* * *

><p>"Izuna-sama!" Atsuko slammed the door open, glancing down at him reading through a book as usual.<p>

"Something wrong?" he was concerned by her urgency, she wasn't one to show such...weakness.

"Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama...They've left to see the Fire Daimyo, apparently it was to do with the mission he gave them. Apparently Madara-sama was furious about something and kept muttering about dogs," she was panting heavily, having ran all the way without so much as a falter in her stride.

"Dogs? That's strange, however it'll be a complete disaster if I don't go with him...You know how he's like running his mouth without thinking. My brother is a lot of things but he doesn't like thinking with his head sometimes," Izuna leapt up, tapping Atsuko on the back. "You can go back to the Stronghold, I guess with those two gone you can have a break,"

"Izuna-sama, I can't come with you?" there was a hint of desperation in her voice; she hated being separated from him. It was enough to make her feel slightly light-headed.

"You're not a kunoichi anymore, Atsuko. Besides, look at you...all puffed out from running here. No, you'd just slow me down and I can't afford that right now. Madara's about to make a very big mistake if he's not careful, hell hath no fury like a Madara scorned," Izuna left as soon as he was done talking, leaving Atsuko to stare at where he'd been before laying down on the futon they'd slept on.

"Mina, I'm trying so hard right now...But I'm not you...I can't keep up with those two. I'll just have to put my trust in Madara-sama for now,"

* * *

><p>They did manage to get there in time, although Yukiko could hardly say it elated her mood even though the setting sun was dousing the sky in a pale red glow which usually would have at least made her stop, observe and smile.<p>

Instead she just sighed and followed Madara down the path to the gates of the expansive palace.

"We are dogs though, isn't that the point?" she whispered, however he heard her turning around to glare at her.

"We are shinobi and we have our pride," he growled.

"Well, we do the mission and we get to eat for like a month and then we do another mission. Someone is always hurt by what we do but we've got to. Isn't that the point of being a mercenary force? Besides you need the Fire Daimyo as much as he needs you, it's a two way thing. He can't defend this land on his own and you can't survive without the money he pays you for defending his land," Yukiko explained, her voice was monotonous as she did so though.

"Ginhana, are you a kunoichi or not?" he took a step towards her, that menacing air around him again.

"I am but right now you seem to be thinking about your pride before your clan, Madara-sama. The needs of your own never outweigh the needs of your clan.

That's what my father always told me," she was trying to be brave, she could see the danger they were in if he went through with this and in some sort of sick twist of fate she was defending his clan from him.

There was silence, a heavy suffocating silence. Was he actually thinking about what she'd said or just wondering where he should hit her?

"Follow me," he wandered off the path down to a wooded area. Yukiko felt like she knew what was going to happen now touching the bruise on her neck before following.

* * *

><p>Izuna was moving faster than usual but thanks to his lighter body he had always been quicker than Madara.<p>

He reached the winding pathway down to the palace by the time the sun was setting he sighed and walked down slowly, looking around for any sign his brother had passed through.

The falcon circling in the sky was the biggest giveaway, guessing he'd have to leave the path for a while to find him.

He was thankful Madara hadn't reached the Daimyo yet though, assuming that somehow Yukiko had stalled him.

After he'd tracked Hoshi it didn't take him long to find Madara and Yukiko.

Surprisingly they just seemed to be talking, he crouched down long and edged forward to hear their conversation.

"...So that's your plan, I see. You brought me with you though why couldn't you just tell me this?" Yukiko sighed; Madara was leaning against a tree with his arms folded while she sat beside him with her legs crossed and eyes closed.

He seems very calm...Izuna couldn't help but think to himself.

"I couldn't tell you, Ginhana, because we were being tracked but now we are not," So they hadn't picked up his chakra yet but Madara had managed to sense others, that was strange.

"I don't think if you've noticed this, Madara-sama, but I'm still in the yukata I slept in and I'm still a mess. This plan was hastily thrown together,"

"You wouldn't be a mess if you hadn't gotten drunk last night,"

This was interesting news for Izuna. He spent a moment pondering on what a drunken Yukiko would be like before quickly getting back to listening to their conversation.

"I've already asked your forgiveness for that, Madara-sama. I won't give in to the temptation again," that sounded like a thinly veiled lie, if he'd ever heard one.

"I don't care what you do, Ginhana, just don't get in my way and don't get killed. Let's go," the pair started heading towards where Izuna was hiding with a quick Body Flicker he was gone though.

He was torn between helping his brother or not. Madara certainly seemed a lot more calm than he'd expected and from what he'd heard it sounded as though he'd thought of a plan as well and from experience he knew better than to go against his brother's plans. As bad-tempered as he was Madara wasn't an idiot, quite the opposite, so when he had a plan it usually worked out.

Then there was the fact that whatever this plan was the ever-so-cautious

Yukiko seemed to be okay with it, he'd heard minor complaints but she seemed to be willing to play along.

For now he decided to observe.

* * *

><p>The palace was huge, decorated in brilliant white and glistening gold with many people wandering around all looking like they were doing something.<p>

Not a single thing seemed out of place and it was amazing to Yukiko.

"Didn't you ever visit the Water Daimyo's palace?" Madara hissed to her as they were led down a long corridor lit on all sides by dancing flames on candles.

"No, what was written in that mission briefing was right. The Water Daimyo is a tyrant and I never associated myself with him personally during my time as Clan Leader," she replied quietly, fiddling with the hair hiding her damaged eye.

"I see, considering your apparent love for sake..." he began.

_Oh don't mention alcohol please_...She inwardly groaned, the thought alone was making her dizzy with sickness.

"I think you'll be rather fond of the Fire Daimyo, although he's hardly incompetent," Madara continued, suddenly noticing she wasn't carrying Kiyoshi with her. It was one of the few times he'd actually seen her without the sword since getting it back but she didn't seem flustered without it at all.

"I've met him once before, the night you kidnapped me I'd met him at the Senju Stronghold," she admitted with a smirk of her own for a change.

A set of doors slid open revealing a large dining room, lanterns lighting the room now instead of candles.

"My lord, Madara Uchiha and Yukiko Ginhana are here to see you," the servant announced before quickly leaving, he was nearly as efficient as the Uchiha were at vacating a room.

"Ah, Madara-kun and Ginhana-chan, I didn't think I'd see you two together,"

Hibiki Akio was a tall man, getting to the age were wisps of grey were appearing in his deep brown hair that thinly trailed down his back. He had kind ocean blue eyes and a gentle knowing smile.

"Excuse our intrusion, Akio-sama, but we're here on some rather urgent business," Yukiko said, bowing down respectfully.

Out of nowhere there was a clap of lightning from the heavens, her eyes moved over to one of the windows as she noticed the rain now pouring from the sky.

"That's not exactly a good omen to talk business with. Come, sit, drink and eat with me before we do anything else and maybe the gods will forgive your intrusion," with a nonchalant wave of his hand the two were beckoned over to him.

Both Madara and Hibiki seemed very calm, it was almost eerie.

Thank the gods that this was the sort of strange situation drink was originally designed for however Yukiko couldn't bring herself to drink yet. Her 'escapade' from the night before was still on her mind and the thought of getting drunk again was sickening.

The lord noticed this though. "Ginhana-chan, you're not drinking tonight? You skipped out on drinking with me and the Senju Brothers a while ago as well," his eyes were watching her carefully, observing every awkward shift with almost as much intent as Madara would.

"I was eager to get my men back home; they were tired and hadn't seen their families in weeks," Yukiko noticed he didn't even react to this statement.

"Yes, I heard about the Ginhana. I'm very sorry for your loss. But at least you have Madara-kun to help you out, very unusual of you, Madara-kun," the Uchiha made no response, taking another sip of sake.

Yukiko, however, was experiencing anger again. It wasn't a feeling she liked, her mother had drilled it into her that she had to stay neutral at all times, but she was only human.

"We share a common interest at the moment," she said, managing a smile barely.

"Oh I wonder what an attractive thing like you could have in common with Madara-kun; I'm hoping it's nothing too scandalous,"

Well now they were both angry, Madara's jaw clenched to the point where he thought it'd dislocate and Yukiko coughing slightly to try and hide her clenched fists.

"Nothing like that, Akio-sama," she laughed, it was easier to lie to him than Kouta. She wasn't worried he was able to sense it in her; however the Daimyo seemed very pleased about something.

"That cough sounded bad, perhaps you should get some rest already, Ginhana-chan," Hibiki waved a hand to a servant behind him.

"Please, Akio-sama, call me Yuki-chan and I'm sure…"

"It's fine, Ginhana, I need to talk to Hibiki-sama alone," Madara cut her off as he placed his glass down and gave her a strange look. She nodded.

The servant led her down to a large bedroom, a very pretty table in the corner which she sat at once the servant had left her.

She buried her face in her hands and let out a muffled scream of frustration.

Yukiko wanted the night to end so desperately yet a part of her was willing to stay up and wait for Madara, she tried to convince herself it was because she wanted to know how it went with Hibiki but she couldn't ignore the tiny part of her that was worried about the Uchiha.

* * *

><p>Madara quickly finished the rest of his glass before breaking the silence between him and the Daimyo.<p>

"I thought you might like a mission update," he sighed. Hibiki chuckled softly.

"Of course, I never imagined you'd bring her here,"

"She is working with my brother on a little project but after that is done you'll get your information. I do have one question though, Hibiki-sama," the leader straightened up and watched Hibiki's reaction to his next question as carefully as he could without activating his Sharingan. "Why did you order me to kill her clan? I hardly thought it'd be necessary,"

"Madara-kun, you are an amazing leader but you lack the vision to see the bigger picture. Allow me to explain…" Hibiki paused as he opened a new bottle of drink and refilled Madara's glass. "If you kill a leader, what happens?"

"A new leader takes over," he felt like he was being patronized a little.

"Precisely, now Yukiko has no children, it would have gone to her uncle. I don't know her uncle, what if he doesn't have the same beliefs? What if he wants to gather up an army and work with the Water Daimyo to take my land? You know how to run an army, Madara-kun, but you do not know how to run a country. Which is why we work so well together, isn't it, Madara-kun?" he asked, his voice laced with a dangerous tone.

"You don't need to worry, Hibiki-sama, the Uchiha never fail. I have some more questions but for now I'll go check on Ginhana," Madara got up. It was strange but the only time he realised he'd drunk too much was when he stood up and was hit with that way of light-headedness.

"Madara-kun, I saw darling Yuki's neck. I mean it; I hope you aren't involved in something too scandalous with her. Her father was quite the scandal himself, marrying a Yuki against his council's orders and professing his love for Ritsuko in front of the Water Daimyo," Hibiki laughed again, thinking back to those memories he had of Isamu.

"There isn't anything going on. Was there a point to that anecdote, Hibiki-sama?"

"There's always a point. I'm just saying that she came from quite the…unconventional family and while she puts on a good appearance I assure you she's not quite what she seems,"

Like Madara needed to be told that, he already could see what Yukiko was and he had a feeling he could see it more than she could herself.

* * *

><p>Yukiko fought away tiredness and 45 minutes later, Madara stumbled into the bedroom himself.<p>

"Madara-sama…" she ran to him, thinking he was injured only to find he was just drunk, or at least a little bit drunk. "You drank a lot,"

"Perhaps, don't drink sitting down, Yukiko. It doesn't end well," he groaned, walking straight past her and lying down on the bed.

"What did Akio-sama say?" she sat back down on the table, not wanting to get too close to Madara when he was in such a state.

"Hm? He's a very sneaky lord. You'll have to talk to him tomorrow, come here, Yukiko," the way he said her name was strange to her. Such familiarity from him was so foreign each time he said her name she almost thought he was talking to someone else.

Yukiko shook her head. "I think it's best you just lie down, Madara-sama. I have thinking to do,"

Madara heaved a heavy sigh and sat up. "Do I have to bring you over here myself?"

No, quite simply was the answer to that particular question even if it was rhetorical.

She got up and sat down next to him, feeling tense without Kiyoshi with her. She weaved a few hand signs and in a puff of smoke her sword was in her hands.

"Wait!" Madara suddenly exclaimed, grabbing the blade off of her. "You shouldn't be able to do that…It's back at the Stronghold, to move a weapon it has to be stored in a scroll first,"

"Kiyoshi is special. You should sleep, Madara-sama," she yawned, hoping this would encourage him to sleep himself.

"I have a question, Yukiko," instead he pulled her down to lie with him; her head on his chest again like her 'punishment' had been days before.

"Alright, what is it?" she tried to squirm away from him but yet again she being held against him and with reasonable ease as well it seemed.

"Firstly," he sat up again, appearing to be quite agitated, taking his shirt off and then throwing it to her. "Instead of sleeping in that yukata again you should sleep in that. Secondly, how much do you hate me?" before Yukiko could sit up and then try and avoid the question, Madara had her pinned and was gently nuzzling into her neck.

"Thank you for letting me borrow this, Madara-sama, and why does it matter how much I hate you?"

"You don't seem to hate me a lot but you don't like me either," he muttered into her neck before gently kissing her pulse. Yukiko flinched and tried to turn away from him.

"I don't hate you, I hate what you've done to me now please stop it," in all fairness Yukiko hadn't meant to snap at him, she rarely snapped at anyone but he immediately pulled away from her neck to look at her with that smug smirk once more.

"That's all I want from you," he chuckled at the confused expression on her face.

"All you want?"

"A little personality from the ice queen every once in a while," he kissed her cheek before moving off of her completely.

"Izuna-san said something like I lack personality as well," she muttered. It wasn't as if she _lacked _it she just refused to show it to her kidnappers.

"Maybe you'd enjoy yourself more if you let go a little," he replied, looking back at her.

"Madara-sama, you can't talk about letting go a little. You're an unhappy man," she hissed as she got up and walked into the bathroom to put on his shirt.

"On the contrary I'm a very happy man, see, Yukiko, I'm smiling right now,"

"You're drunk right now!" she yelled back.

_She's much more fun like this…Still scared but at least she makes for good company _he thought to himself, getting up and shakily making his way over to the bathroom.

"I'm hardly drunk, just had a more to drink than I thought I did," he corrected smugly as he crossed his arms and waited next to the door. He did feel drunk though but there was no way he was admitting it to her.

Yukiko came out of the bathroom 5 minutes later, hair untied, wearing _his _shirt and seemed very cautious of Madara, keeping a safe distance away from him.

"What will I have to talk to Akio-sama about tomorrow?" she asked, sitting down on the bed and watching him carefully.

"I'll tell you tomorrow. Come here," he grabbed her wrist, which earned him a very confused look from her and a slight sense of alarm as well.

"Madara-sama…" there was a sudden thud from outside which caused the two to stop for a moment and turn to the window where the noise had come from.

Yukiko glanced back at Madara who seemed to be smiling about something.

"Like I said, Yukiko, come here," he dragged her across the room until he was leaning against the wall nearest the window and pulled Yukiko close to him, one hand in her ivory locks to keep her lips against his.

She tried, as she had always done now, to resist him, with two hands on his chest as she pushed herself away from him but even in his intoxicated state he was still able to hold her in place. All the while he had his eyes slightly open as he tried to look out of the window only to find he was at the wrong angle and quickly turned to push Yukiko against the wall.

Her muffled protests were starting to sound less like resistance and more like moans and he was finding it hard to concentrate but he knew whoever had been outside before was gone now. Not that he had to tell her that.

She was too busy cursing herself again, it seemed as though she was always easily tempted. It had always been drink that had tempted her before but now she found herself in the holds of a man she wanted to detest.

Like a silvery snake, charmed by beauty yet she was always aware of its lethal ramifications, of what it had and would do to her. Even though he wasn't sober, every gentle caress of his lips against hers, the feel of his hand gently gripping her hair while the other one ran up her back but not with force more akin to a seabird skimming the ocean top. It all seemed so...perfect. Neither too forceful nor too gentle.

An ever-so-soft moan escaped her, as soon as he heard it his muscles seemed to clench and a deep growl stirred in his throat. Her mouth parted just slightly yet it was enough for his tongue to gently begin to intertwine with her own.

Just how was he doing this? He wasn't demanding, over-powering her at all instead he seemed to be baiting her, drawing out this part of her she had never known was in her. All she knew was that whatever this powerful, beast of a man was doing to her, she wanted more.

Torn, that was what she was all of a sudden, torn between what was right and what she craved at that moment.

What she craved was the man who'd robbed her of everything. She was certain the gods were laughing at her, of all the men they'd chosen her to be attracted to it was him?

"_For now…You're mine," _Yukiko remembered those words, now realising the proper meaning behind them. Thinking about it made her moan again, this time louder. His body responded by pushing her against the wall harder, her arms wrapping around his neck as he did so. That soft mane of ebony was in her grasp now, the feel of her hands running through his hair made him growl again, fiercer this time.

His hands moved down to her waist, his kisses were becoming stronger, more passionate by the minute. How had him trying to get a view of the window without suspicion led to this dizzying high he was starting to experience? Knowing full well if he didn't stop now he never would, reality hit him like a steam train. He couldn't possibly have her yet. There was something he had to do beforehand and he most certainly wasn't going to take her while he was drunk.

Madara pulled away from the kiss slowly, taking a moment to examine the look of almost wonderment in her deep crimson eyes. He noticed her shortness of breath and his Sharingan detected her quickened pulse and chakra flow. There was nothing she could hide from him except…those eyes seemed to hide her thoughts.

"Come," he took her hand; she noted it was almost tender the way he did so, and pulled her into bed with him. With her head back on his chest again, she sighed. The man was unfathomable, always keeping her guessing at his next actions.

Lightning exploded into life in the sky outside. She couldn't help but watch the rain beyond the window. She didn't know how long she watched it for but by the time her attention was pulled back to Madara he was asleep and quite heavily as well.

Serene. It all seemed serene in a very surreal way. He stirred slightly, rolling onto his side and pulling her against him. She couldn't watch the rain anymore but the feeling of being held by the great Madara Uchiha wasn't one she despised. She felt sheltered, content enough to sleep but not before checking he was definitely asleep.

Pride was all she had left and she wasn't going to give it up for the sake of a fleeting attraction that was for sure.

* * *

><p>Izuna ran back into palace once he was done swearing. He realised the fall had sprained his ankle not only that but he was worried his brother would spot him sneaking around the palace.<p>

Hibiki Akio seemed amused by his slight limp though as he walked into the dining room.

"Izuna-kun, trouble keeping balance?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"Yes, Hibiki-sama, but at least I know Madara isn't going to do anything stupid. I do have a question though,"

"Yes? I'm about to retire but I suppose I can listen to _one _question," Hibiki eyed Izuna with suspicion.

"How did you know the Ginhana and Senju were going to assassinate the Water Daimyo?" that had to be part of the reason his brother had shown up in such a rush, he'd deduced that much.

"A spy informed me of it, now if you don't mind me, I'll be going," he turned to leave but as he reached the door Hibiki added. "And make sure your brother doesn't realise you're here, he'll think you're undermining him,"

In truth, Izuna felt as though he was undermining Madara. He had total confidence in Madara but he was worried, worried that everything seemed to be not totally fitting together logically.

Two voices pulled him out of his train of thought.

"Thank you for letting us in on such short notice,"

"Yes, it was very kind of you. This storm seemed to come from nowhere,"

_Oh shit…_

Izuna made for the nearest door but his ankle made a sickening crunch as he tried. Dislocated, not sprained he realised as he turned to the door that was now opening.

"Izuna-kun?" Hashirama seemed baffled, not only by the Uchiha even being in the Fire Daimyo's home, but by the pained look on his face.

Tobirama, on the other hand, seemed annoyed.

"What business do you have here, Uchiha?" he snapped, glaring at Izuna.

"Quiet, Tobi, let's not jump to any conclusions," the elder Senju warned calmly.

_Now I really have to tell Madara I'm here…And get Yukiko out of here NOW! _

* * *

><p><strong>Told you the Senju would be popping up every now and again. Hibiki Akio, master of the puppets. He really is. Actually he's got more of a game of chess going on right now. <strong>

**So I have a question (Don't I always?). What do _you _think is special about Kiyoshi? XD Mad-kun (that name seems to suit him really) seems very interested in it now he realises it's not just a sparkly sword.**

**Next chapter title: My Heart Was Never Pure...**

**Also have to say thankies to TheWishperingDream, whom I was talking to when I wrote this chapter. XD (I said there'd be a chapter up tonight and now there is, you better be happy) =^.^=  
><strong>


	10. My Heart Was Never Pure

Here's where things get weird and then for a moment, like one of those old comedies...and then back to weird. And at one point there's quite a bit of emotion...Then back to weird. Chapter Ten though. It's quite the interesting one as far as the thing I've got going on. XD Yes, it's the thing for now...

Chapter Title: It's from a song called Sigh No More by Mumford & Sons who're quite possibly my favourite band to listen to while writing EVER. (As far as this story goes anyways)

Disclaimer: Still don't own Naruto but I totally own Yukiko (Like Madara wishes he could ;) Oh that was bad, I'll never ever say or do that again) and I own Hibiki Akio and Atsuko.

**~The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Ten<strong>

**My Heart Was Never Pure…**

Izuna was limping down the corridor when he grabbed a nearby servant girl.

"Do you know where Madara Uchiha's sleeping?" apparently she'd expected something much worse from the shinobi but she nervously informed him of where to go, clearly seeing the connection between him and his older brother.

It was strange; he was in a bad mood. Izuna didn't usually get into bad moods but he was definitely stuck in one. He was in pain, cold, wet, tired and now anxious. Anxious that his brother had to leave before the Senju discovered Yukiko and then a new battle sparked between the two.

And Madara would end up injured, when it came down to the Senju there were injuries on both sides.

"Izuna-kun!" he turned around to see Hashirama walking down to greet him.

"Ah, Hashirama-san, what's up?" he was trying desperately to disguise both his injury and his irritability. Perhaps he was more like Madara than he thought.

"I was wondering if we could talk about your brother," the Senju had a gentle smile on his face. Always respectful despite the things that happened during the battles they'd fought.

"Oh? What about him? You know I can't tell you too much about us, Hashirama-san," Izuna leant against the wall, taking weight off of his foot.

"I wanted to know if he was interested in…"

"Nii-sama! What's going on?" Tobirama yelled, the Uchiha rolled his eyes and sighed. Maybe the Senju wouldn't be so bad if Tobirama wasn't so hostile towards him.

"I was talking to Izuna-kun. You go get some rest, Tobirama. We'll be leaving in the morning," the young Senju begrudgingly listened to his brother and left the two in peace. "Come to think of it, I'd best go with him. It's very odd to see you without Madara-kun though," Hashirama pointed out but Izuna shrugged off the comment.

"He sends me away sometimes, it's nothing personal. Some brothers need space,"

"Alright, well, hopefully I'll see you before I leave and we can talk some more," as Hashirama walked away Izuna found himself muttering.

"Not if I can help it…" before resuming his search for Madara.

* * *

><p>Madara woke up sluggish; checking the window and feeling as though he'd only had a few hours sleep.<p>

"Nii-san," seeing Izuna was both shocking and perplexing to him and he found himself just blankly staring at him wondering if he was still dreaming or not partly because his brother hadn't called him 'Nii-san' in a while.

"Izuna…" the elder groaned, slowly moving his arm out from underneath Yukiko, who was stirring but not quite awake yet, and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"You're awake, we've got to go," Izuna hissed.

"Why're you here? How did you know I was here?"

"I tracked you down, it doesn't matter. The Senju are here, if they find Yukiko they'll bring an army and then we'll bring an army and we won't have anyone to go complete our assignment next week and then we won't…"

"Enough, Izuna! I'm awake, I've listened to you now all we need to do…"

"What assignment next week?" Yukiko yawned; not at all surprised Izuna had turned up.

"That doesn't matter, Ginhana," Ah, she was back to being called 'Ginhana'. "Izuna, you take her back to the Stronghold and I'll finish my business here," Madara ordered, sitting up and stretching his arms out.

There was a knock at the door which caused Izuna to nearly stop breathing. Madara nodded to him to go open the door and see who was there.

"Who's there?" the young Uchiha asked, opening the door slightly.

Hashirama Senju still had that gentle smile on his face from before, apparently he'd lied and their conversation couldn't wait until morning.

"Izuna-kun, forgive me for before but my brother has been in a very bad mood lately. I was wondering if we could continue that conversation from before, it's very important," an important matter from the Senju. There was nothing Izuna could do other than try and have the conversation outside the room and give Yukiko the chance to slip away unnoticed.

"Hm, we should talk in another room,"

"Nonsense, Izuna-kun, you shouldn't be moving around too much with your leg being so badly injured," he knew that injury would become more troublesome by the minute.

Yukiko didn't know why she was suddenly so scared. If she'd yelled for help then the Senju would find her at last but if Madara had been telling the truth she would've been taken to prison.

Either way she had her oath to keep with Izuna and crept towards the window, making sure that there was no way Hashirama could see her.

It hurt though, so close to Hashirama Senju and there wasn't a thing she could do.

She bit down on her lip to keep her emotions under control; she reached the window looking down only to find Tobirama was outside. Immediately she crouched down and looked over to Madara and shook her head.

He was definitely in a foul mood now, getting fed up with the bad luck that seemed to plague him now.

He silently moved over to and checked out the problem.

"And those other two chakra signals I can sense are?" Hashirama…why hadn't they even thought about the man they were trying to avoid? The only ninja in the entire world that could stand up to Madara and they honestly thought they could get by unnoticed when he was on the other side of a door.

Izuna looked back at them, Madara sighed.

"How fast can you run?" he whispered.

"You still want me to…"

"Don't argue and don't think you can get away from me. If you don't head straight back to the Stronghold I, personally, will dedicate my life to further ruining yours," he hissed.

Yukiko grabbed Kiyoshi and jumped onto the window ledge, poised to jump far enough to make some distance between her and Tobirama.

One more glance back to Izuna and she jumped, landing about 8 foot from Tobirama before running into the woods.

She was thankful her hangover was gone but struggling with her lack of sleep, feeling like her legs were weighted down.

"Yukiko!"

She jumped up onto a branch and managed to get into a decent stride but she could constantly feel Tobirama just behind her.

Tobirama was one of those ninjas though; ones born with natural talent and the chase hardly lasted long before she was tackled to the ground.

"What the hell is going on, Yukiko?" he snapped, pulling Kiyoshi out of her hands and throwing it aside.

"Tobirama-kun…I…" words completely failed her though. What she wanted to say was, I think we've been set up by the Fire Daimyo and he's the reason my clan is gone, instead she found herself crying as though the harsh reality of the lifestyle she was beginning to lead and what had caused it had finally hit her.

* * *

><p>Madara, Hashirama and Izuna were all sitting in the bedroom in silence. Partly because there was nothing to say but also because they were waiting for Yukiko to inevitably be dragged back to them.<p>

The elder Uchiha had only sent her away for some peace with his brother to talk to Hashirama.

Moments later the door swung open and he expected Tobirama to drag the Ginhana in. Instead she stormed in herself, standing right in front of him.

"You _liar_!" she screamed, the anger flowing through her was the same she'd felt for him when she'd first learnt of her clan's massacre.

"Excuse me?" Madara asked, glancing up at her only to notice furious tears flowing down her face.

"You _lied _to me! You said that I was a prime suspect and was wanted for arrest! The Senju wanted me to talk to me and keep me away from you!"

"A ninja must see through…"

"Don't you dare give me that crap! You took everything from me and then had the nerve to lie to me about it as well! You're sick, you're not even human!" Izuna stepped in at this point, grabbing her arm to face him and slapping her.

The only sound that could be heard was her whimpers.

"I'll take her outside," Izuna muttered, Tobirama glaring at him.

"No you won't,"

"It's fine," she reassured, following Izuna out of the room. He shut the door and carried on walking until he found a quiet room.

"Don't talk to my brother that way again. You know what's on the line here, Yukiko," he threatened, his grip on her wrist increasing suddenly.

"Izuna-san…" she was going to argue but held it in, she didn't have the strength to anymore. She was cold, wet, tired and emotionally drained.

* * *

><p>"You lied to her, Madara-kun?" Hashirama asked, breaking the heavy silence. "Why?"<p>

"It has nothing to do with you, Hashirama. It's to do with her clan," Madara sighed.

"The clan you murdered!" the younger Senju exclaimed, looking to his brother for support. "She told me he killed them!" All the older Senju did was nod.

"Why're you keeping her alive though? It's not like you to leave survivors. Did she tell you, Tobirama?"

"No she didn't. She's refusing to say anything else. But you saw the mark on her neck, Nii-sama! I'll bet my life that was from him," he snarled, looking back at Madara who was just casually sitting on the edge of the bed. It was worrying him; he didn't seem at all fazed in fact there was a tiny smile on his face.

"Yes, that was me. She's mine for now and that's why she's not dead yet," the Uchiha stood up, making his way over to Tobirama. "Consider yourselves lucky that she isn't dead actually. Now if you don't mind me, I have to go find my brother and my woman before you start kicking up a fuss," his voice was thick with a dangerous tone.

"H-how dare you!"

"That's enough, Tobirama. Don't bring your personal feelings into this. Madara-kun, I expect to be able to keep in contact with Yukiko-chan from now on. That's my terms,"

_Over my dead body…_

"Do what you want, Hashirama. I'm not here to get involved in another battle with you _yet_. Unfortunately I have an assignment next week however afterwards if your brother dares talks to me and Izuna that way again…" Madara walked to the door glancing back at the Senju with mild disgust in his eyes. "I won't hesitate to teach his a lesson,"

"I wouldn't threaten my brother, Madara-kun, however I see your point," Hashirama replied as Madara left the room.

"You're just gonna let him go?" Tobirama asked, eying his brother with suspicion.

"Part of being a good leader, brother, and this is a lesson Madara-kun has learnt as well, is knowing what fights are worth it. Now although she is a dear friend she isn't going to be in any sort of danger anytime soon, quite the opposite I suspect. For now we'll keep in contact with her and see where it goes from there,"

"Being near the Uchiha is dangerous enough," the younger brother scoffed, folding his arms in disapproval.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was sitting on the floor, hugging her knees to her chest as she watched Izuna.<p>

"This is giving me a very bad case of déjà vu, Yuki-chan. I'm sorry I hit you but you were out of control there for a moment, very unlike you," Izuna smirked, sitting beside her and taking Kiyoshi from her.

"I forgot what was at stake; I'm allowed to be upset," she muttered, looking at Kiyoshi.

"You are…however you're not allowed to be upset at my brother,"

"Why? Madara-sama is capable of being in the wrong," Yukiko sighed, flinching as Izuna touched her hurting cheek.

"Yes he is, but so are you. He shouldn't have lied but you shouldn't have come storming in the room, screaming your head off and calling him names. I'll add that's a pretty little bruise on your neck," he laughed, pressing a finger against the love bite.

"It was a heat of the moment reaction,"

"What the shouting or this mark?" Izuna teased, a gentle laugh escaping him. He felt…less anxious now. His brother was safe for the moment.

"The shouting, I don't remember getting the mark. I was drunk at the time," Yukiko scowled, moving away from him a little.

"Yuki-chan the drinker? I don't see that in your image really. But you're wound up tighter than wire on a kunai!" she gave him a confused look.

"Wire on a kunai?"

"Yup, it's an Uchiha phrase…Actually truth be told I just coined it. Perhaps it'll catch on in the clan. Here comes Madara," and true to his word, Madara came in a moment later with an angry look on his face that she hadn't seen in a while.

"Izuna, go find a room to sleep in near this one," he barked and with a playful smile Izuna left. Yukiko felt awkward, that oppressive atmosphere was back now and it felt worse than before making it hard to imagine that just hours before she'd been held so close to him…

"Madara-sama…" she began before she was pulled off the ground and forced to look straight into his Sharingan.

"Who the hell do you think you are? Did you really think you could talk to me like that and I would take it?" he growled, his voice wasn't raised at all, in fact it was quieter than usual but so laced with anger her own voice was robbed of her. "How _dare _you, now you better start begging for my forgiveness in the next 30 seconds or I swear to the gods that I will make you regret what you did for the rest of your life…However short it may be…"

Yukiko felt it, her heart pounding, as she realised she was in actual danger of being _seriously _hurt by him.

"M-Madara-sama…Forgive me this but I was in my rights…To lose my temper…" she stuttered, she wasn't going to back down so easily this time despite his threats.

His hand released her wrist and immediately gripped her throat, pushing her hard against the wall behind her, hard enough it knocked the breath out of her.

Yukiko couldn't hold her nerve though. His gaze was too harsh on her and she was much too terrified he'd show her that place again.

"Please, Madara-sama! I'm sorry, just let go!" she cried, feeling so hopeless all of a sudden as she fell to her knees almost in submission.

"Say it again,"

"What?" she looked up in disbelief before sighing. "I'm very sorry, Madara-sama, please forgive me," he crouched down in front of her, tilting her head up with a finger and forcing her to look up at him. He smirked and stood up, offering a hand to her, which she took nervously.

He didn't actually say anything else to her, he simply laid down on the bed with her, holding her close against him and the two fell back asleep. Although Yukiko didn't feel quite as at peace as she had done before.

* * *

><p><em>She must have been six when it happened. She found herself wandering through the snow, all by herself. <em>

"_Papa! Mama!" she cried out to the never-ending blizzard that swirled around her. Her lip quivered as she searched even more frantically the more time passed, she had been walking and then suddenly running. _

_Nothing but snow surrounded her, the wind roaring in her ears. _

"_Papa!" she screamed over the roar of nature around her. Still there was no reply, she still couldn't see through all that snow. She was lost, so confused and cold. _

_Yukiko's sobs just wouldn't stop, she fell down and curled up as snow began to cloak her. She repeated over and over again for her father and mother for __**someone **__to help her, to find her and take her home. _

_The world around her ignored her pleas though, the blizzard overwhelming the landscape completely. _

_This was her home…This horrible place was her home. _

* * *

><p>Madara woke up, realising the sun had risen long ago, with a yawn. He glanced down at Yukiko who had managed to curl up against his chest and was whimpering. Occasionally she'd twitch and try and get closer to him. He found the whole thing quite fascinating. She was all of a sudden very vulnerable and unconsciously reaching out to him for comfort.<p>

"Ginhana," he nudged her, causing her to moan and place her arm around him. Her crimson eyes fluttered open; she looked straight up at him and blinked a few times.

For a moment she'd been confused and thought she was still stuck at that home and although the reality wasn't that much better, she was a little happy.

Yukiko tried to move away from him, predictably he held her against him a little longer before there was a knock at the door.

"Come in, Izuna," he groaned, rolling onto his back.

"How'd you know it was me?" the young Uchiha asked with a laugh as he bounced into the room.

"No one else would be rude enough to knock without knowing if I was awake or not," Madara pointed out.

"Well, actually, I was sent here by our wonderful Daimyo. He wants to see Yuki-chan alone. After that can we leave, Madara? By the way, you'll want that, Yuki-chan," Izuna threw her the yukata she'd been wearing the day before and she got up and went into the bathroom without a word.

"We'll leave once he's said his piece. I've got training to do and you're injured. You'll have to sort that out by next week. Have the Senju left yet?" Madara asked, sitting up.

"Yup, the Senju are _gone_. Plus I had my ankle put back into place and bandaged by the medical-nin Hibiki keeps here. Give me a week of recovery and I'll be with you on the battlefield like usual,"

"Hn, good. It'd be boring without you. I have to maintain my lead," the elder brother laughed. Yukiko came back out, in the process of tying up her hair, and handed Madara his shirt back.

"There's a servant waiting for you outside, Yuki-chan,"

"Thanks, Izuna-san. I'll be back here as quickly as I can be. I wouldn't mind leaving this place either," and she quickly exited the room.

"She's mad at you, Nii-san. What'd you do?" Izuna asked, laughing as he sat down next to his brother.

"Nothing, she's just being a woman. I wouldn't pay her too much attention, I don't," the leader sighed, putting his head against the wall and looking up at the ceiling.

"You're a bad liar. You pay plenty of attention to her. Not only that but you…" he playfully poked his brother's arm. "Like her,"

"She's an attractive woman who frequently shares a bed with me and occasionally will beg me in a very sweet voice. I don't _like _her. I _want _her. There's a difference. You go out of your way for someone you like,"

"Oh and coming all the way here wasn't coming out of your way?" Izuna laughed at his brother's denial, leaning his head against Madara's chest. "You like her,"

"I came here for the honour of our clan, to insure we weren't being dragged along like dogs. _She _had nothing to do with it,"

"Do you call her Yukiko or Ginhana?" the younger Uchiha asked suddenly, throwing Madara off for a moment.

"Ginhana,"

"So you respect her?"

"No, she hates being called Ginhana. She'd actually rather Yukiko," Madara pointed out with a sigh.

"For someone you don't like you remembered quite a small fact about her. I mean if it'd been…Raimei, for example, you probably wouldn't have remembered something like that," Izuna glanced up at Madara while he said this, wanting to judge his reaction.

"Izuna, being able to recall a personal preference someone has doesn't mean you like them. I can tell you Atsuko's favourite food but I assure you I have no feelings for that silly maid of yours,"

"Hey! Don't bring Atsuko into this. She seems much more your type though. She's very obedient," Izuna answered, thinking for a moment about the maid he'd left behind.

"I don't want obedience; it's much more fun to break a woman in. And another point is that she's not…"

"An Uchiha," Izuna swiftly cut him off. "Yes, quite the opposite. But perhaps your fire can melt her ice, if you catch my drift," he laughed softly to himself.

"How on earth did I raise such a twisted little brother?"

* * *

><p>Yukiko walked into the dining hall where Hibiki Akio was sitting. She wanted to get this over with and go back…to the stronghold.<p>

"You wished to see me, Akio-sama?" she asked politely waiting for him to gesture she sit beside him.

"Yuki-chan, it's lovely to see you. Ah, much like your mother you're radiant even in the morning sun," the lord sighed dramatically. She smiled and muttered a thank you. "Right, you're wanting to know why I asked you here. Quite simply, it's about that mission I gave you,"

Yukiko tensed up for a moment, hoping he wasn't going to tell her to continue on with it despite having no army.

"What about it, Akio-sama?"

"Well, I assume you haven't spoken to the Uchiha about it," she shook her head instead of telling him a lie. "Good, it'll be postponed for now. The situation you're in with them is very…precarious. We can't be hasty now. What I do want you to do, just out of loyalty to me and the Senju, is to comply with the Uchiha for now. I don't trust Madara, he's a loose cannon. He's figured out how to work the system we have in place and quite frankly, he's extremely dangerous. I don't want to risk having an injury occur, that's all I wanted to tell you," Hibiki explained, looking to the door she'd come from every now and again.

Apparently he was on edge and it was undoubtedly because he realised he'd had the Senju _and _the Uchiha under one roof and even if it had been just for a night he wasn't taking chances with either of the clans.

"I will comply out of my loyalty to you and the Senju," she declared, getting up and bowing.

"Thank you, oh and Yuki-chan," he called to her as she reached the door. "Try not to get too intimately involved with Madara, for the same reasons I mentioned before,"

"Thank you for your concern, Akio-sama,"

* * *

><p>Atsuko was elated to find out the trio had returned, Izuna bearing an injury to his ankle though which she promised him she'd tend to.<p>

She entered his bedroom at around 9 in the evening when he'd finally made it home, lying on his bed reading, this time it was a book on the founding of the Fire Country.

"Izuna-sama, how did it go? How are Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama?" she asked, trying not to sound too urgent.

"Hm? Oh those two…They were so close, Atsuko, you should have seen them. And then the Senju turned up and ruined everything like always," Izuna pouted before laughing to himself. "They'll do just fine though. Neither of them have a choice really. Madara can't help himself because well…the man is ruled by lust, whether it's a lust for power or for an icy white haired woman,"

"I can see the logic in that, what happened with the Senju?" she called from the bathroom as she filled a washing basin with warm water.

"Nothing really, Tobirama overreacted to every little thing and Hashirama was the same ol' Hashirama. He seemed fine with Yukiko staying here as long as he can contact her. I dunno, even after all that I feel like we aren't even close to finding out what's going on yet," Izuna explained wearily.

Atsuko walked back in as Izuna sat up and moved to the side of his bed.

"How did you hurt your ankle?" she asked, placing his injured leg into the warm water as she gently massaged his ankle.

"I fell from a window two floors up and landed wrong," he admitted dryly, shutting his eyes from the soothing sensation.

"That's not like you, Izuna-sama,"

"No, I was very distracted. But everyone makes mistakes, Atsuko, it's whether you admit to them that defines you as a person you know,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Madara still hadn't spoken to each other, sitting with their backs to each other on the bed.<p>

Madara was secretly amused by her passive aggressive protest to his lies. She, on the other hand, was still trying to maintain some dignity even in the face of total submission.

"Ginhana, perhaps if you were to kick and scream you'd grow in maturity," he teased, chuckling to himself.

"Madara-sama,"

"Ah, it speaks!"

"Madara-sama, I don't think you've understood what I've done and why but for now…Well to quote you…You aren't at a liberty to ask any more of me tonight," she whispered, silently she was crying to herself.

"Then I shall wait until tomorrow and tomorrow, Ginhana, you'll regret those words,"

Ah, Madara Uchiha, always the man whose threats were actually honest. Perhaps one of the few times he'd shown her any honesty at all. And yet Yukiko had to stay strong for what was at stake, for what Izuna had done.

* * *

><p><strong>To quote my friend at this point "WHAT HAS IZUNA DONE?" Ah...It all goes back to like...Chapter 3 and it's been influencing the plot, or rather Yukiko, ever since. But I'm not going to tell you about it mwhahahahaha! I will later, I promise. XD <strong>

**Am I the only one who found Atsuko and Izuna's scene at the end really nice? XD So the Senju came and the Senju went. Yup, that's how they roll. **

**Not only that but there's something actually going on with Yukiko and Madara...It's moving at a snail's pace though because...Well people keep fucking it up. (Madara's lies, Yukiko's...Yukiko-ness, Izuna's manipulation) I do like Yukiko's brand of protest though (Y)**

**Next Chapter Title: **Rip Out All I Have Just To Say That You've Won!****

**Yup, next time, Yukiko is pissed still. XD Reviewwwww, if you don't then...My hamster (Izuna-Wheatley) will cry. XD**


	11. Rip Out All I Have!

Morning/Evening all! I'm back with another update! Woo! And if you aren't excited, go away and come back when you are! I've been working damn hard on Chapter 14 to get this posted so you can at least smile. Are you smiling? Good.

Chapter Title: I Gave You All by Mumford & Sons. Yukiko quotes them later in the chapter! :)

Disclaimer: Do Not Own Naruto. I Do Own Yukiko, Atsuko + Anyone Else. OH! THE BIRD! I OWN THE BIRD!

Be warned though...Actually I won't warn you. Just read already!

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Eleven<strong>

**Rip Out All I Have Just To Say That You've Won!**

Yukiko wasn't happy to be back at the Stronghold after seeing the Senju again but she was feeling less angry towards Madara when she woke up. She couldn't believe how almost shallow it was of her to not hold a grudge against him though.

No, she decided the anger she felt had to be aimed at the Fire Daimyo since she, the Senju and the Uchiha were all being strung along for now.

She tried to shift away from him to get to the bathroom but all of a sudden there was something heavy on her shoulder, glaring down at her.

She froze as Hoshi watched her.

"Good morning…Hoshi," the hawk tilted his head before plunging its beak down and pecking her ear. She shrieked and ended up rolling off the bed in time for Madara to wake up and see this commotion.

"Ginhana," he groaned, leaning over the side of the bed to see her clutching her bleeding ear.

"That bird _hates _me!" she snarled before getting up and moving to the bathroom.

He couldn't help but laugh, noticing the look of pride of Hoshi's eyes as he leapt onto his master's arm.

He playfully scratched Hoshi's chest as he stood up and made his way over to the window.

"Go outside; don't come in here making trouble, Hoshi. I'll be out for training soon," he muttered into the hawk's ear before letting him fly.

By the time Yukiko was out of the bath and in her freshly cleaned ninja outfit, Madara was sitting at the desk with his arms folded.

"Is it gone?" she muttered, she tried liking the bird. She really had. However waking up with it on you trying to peck at you was far beyond what Yukiko could stand from it.

"Hoshi's gone. And it is a very strange thing,"

"Strange?"

"How much he hates you. He hates everyone but he seems to have a particular thing for you," Madara laughed and stood up. "We never finished that fight, Ginhana. Come,"

Yukiko rolled her eyes and grabbed Kiyoshi. If he wasn't doing something perverted or yelling at her he was trying to fight her. She couldn't help but thank the gods he didn't have a wife, she couldn't imagine what he'd be like married.

Yukiko was cautiously watching the sky though, the storm that had swept the land was gone and all that was left of it was morning dew on the luscious grass.

Madara promptly turned around to face her, already a triumphant grin on his face.

"Alright, Ginhana. Here's my challenge to you..." she unsheathed Kiyoshi already. "All that anger from yesterday, do you still feel it?" she gave no reply, apparently still putting up her protest. "Alright, fight the Uchiha way for a change. Come at me with that anger!" he declared before trying to strike her. She rolled out of the way and weaved several hand signs.

"Wind Style: Vacuum Wave jutsu!" she exhaled several waves of wind sharp enough to slice at Madara who just laughed.

"Fire Style: Fireball jutsu!" the wind just fanned the flames of his ball, making it grow expenetionally. Yukiko reacted swiftly though.

"Water Style: Tearing Torrent jutsu!" a ball of water in her hand poured water and extinguished the fire.

"Tch, I thought you said you weren't talented," Madara commented with a laugh. She couldn't help but feel like she was being patronized but had no time to retort when he came straight to her with his fist pulled back.

Yukiko ducked down, swiping at him with Kiyoshi but stopping just before for made contact. The entire blade shattered causing Madara to quickly look down to analyze what was going on. He couldn't quite tell, but she jumped back with proud glint in her eye as she held out the handle to him.

"Kiyoshi is very special to me, Madara-sama, I have told you before just how special," tiny pieces of ice fell before his eyes, every place the shards touched turned to an ice which encased his body.

_Impressive...She kept that one up her sleeve well enough..._He thought to himself. She booted the block of ice and as it shattered it left tiny scratches all over him.

"That's quite the sword you've inherited," he scoffed. "Not good enough to keep me down, surely you know that much," he jumped at her, which seemed to shock her as the blade quickly reformed at the hilt she tried to jumped back but was tackled to the ground and pinned down, he quickly had her wrists held above her head with a single hand, the other being used to rip her sword from her grip.

"I'll tell you this, Ginhana, you aren't untalented as you proclaimed to be," he growled in her ear, causing her to smile gently.

"I know, I lied however compared to you and Hashirama-sama I'm not anything special," she retorted with a sigh.

"That may be true. However I was expecting something more like those worthless Senju dogs they send out," he looked down at her, a look of fear in her eyes but she was desperately fighting it he could tell.

"Madara-sama, please let me up," she said quietly, worried about her pounding heart. She did feel better though, knowing she'd struck out at Madara.

He relinquished his grip on her and got up offering her a hand which she didn't accept, jumping up and grabbing Kiyoshi from him.

She couldn't have run faster back the Stronghold if she'd tried and then began to search for Madara's room while cursing her lack of direction.

"You'll want to take a right and then a left and it's down that corridor," a playful voice exclaimed from behind her, making her yelp as she turned around. Izuna just laugh at her.

"Th-thank you, Izuna-san," she ran off as soon as she looked behind him though.

"Madara, are you picking on her again?" Izuna asked, turning to face his brother.

"If we're going to talk about picking on her, Izuna, you may want to find an explanation for your actions," Madara pointed out, patting Izuna on the head before walking down to his quarters but not before adding a further comment. "It's like she doesn't even realise it's my room she's heading to,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko leapt into the bathroom and hastily locked it, sliding down the door with a sigh. Peace. That's all she really wanted. Just some time to herself to get her head straight and instead she felt pressured constantly.<p>

She sighed again and clutched Kiyoshi. She gently disintegrated the blade again and held her hand above the floor in front of her, reconstructing the pieces into a silvery cat in front of her. Kiyoshi. He eased her loneliness immediately as he jumped into her arms with a purr. Manipulating ice into various forms was easy enough for her; however it had been difficult for her father who lacked an Ice affinity. And while she could use her chakra to turn him into many things, she was fond of just making Kiyoshi a cat.

She held him close to her chest, listening to his content purrs. She heard the door to Madara's room open and his footsteps leading to the bathroom door.

Yukiko smiled, quickly folding Kiyoshi back into a blade.

"Ginhana, unlock this door. You're above something so childish," Madara warned. But he was right; locking herself away wasn't like her. She turned and unlocked the door but stayed sitting against it.

"Why did do that, Madara-sama?" she asked as he opened the door and looked down at her.

"I thought we'd established my attraction towards you, Ginhana, and yours for me," the truth in his words was clear, it still made her catch her breath for a moment. Her attraction towards him? She barely thought of it, he was like a cherry blossom petal in the breeze. It was stunning to behold for a while, but it would quickly disappear. She was stuck waiting for those feelings to disappear.

"That doesn't answer my question though, Madara-sama," she muttered yet he heard her. Madara was seemed to hear her. He crouched down in front of her.

"Yes, it does. I did it simply because I wanted to. You're still mine and I intend to make the most of that," he said as he slowly looked at her right eye, just visible from behind a curtain of white.

"And just what..." the door to his room opened again and Izuna and Atsuko walked in, acting unfazed by the fact the pair were sitting in the bathroom.

"Ah, Madara, I forgot to mention something. You do remember you're supposed to let Yuki-chan stay in contact with Hashirama," Izuna announced, glancing at his maid for a moment before looking back at his brother.

"And I thought I told you I wasn't going to accept that, Izuna,"

"Excuse me, Madara-sama, but I'm allowed to send messages to Hashirama-sama?" Yukiko asked, confused by Izuna's sudden announcement of this, standing up.

"No, you're not. I'm not going to allow something so foolish," Madara growled, glaring at Izuna as he, himself, straightened up.

"But Madara, that was the conditions on us keeping Yuki-chan and not getting into a new fight..."

"That's enough, Izuna! We'll discuss this later," Madara snapped, making his way over to his brother and looming over him, his Sharingan making threats he couldn't possibly word.

"Madara-sama, tell me what's this about," Yukiko demanded, feeling less scared with Izuna and Atsuko around.

"It doesn't concern you, Ginhana," Madara growled without even looking back at her, he was intent on making Izuna back down.

"I feel like that's for me to judge, what did Hashirama-sama say about me?"

"Stop calling him that!" he snarled, now he did turn around. He felt like he was being ganged up on, no doubt that was his brother's intentions but Madara was good at regaining his influence over people. His brother's spell wouldn't last long.

"Tell me what he said, what does he want from me?" she asked, albeit hastily as he approached her.

"Nothing, while you're under my watch. You've forgotten your situation, haven't you, Ginhana? Perhaps I've been too soft on you," he was just inches from her and his closeness was suffocating. Why would Izuna be so reckless?

"All I'm asking is what Hashirama-sama asked..." _smack! _She hit the floor before she even realised what was going on, the taste of iron filling her mouth. Atsuko looked distressed, looking to Izuna to get him to step in but the young Uchiha seemed calm and unfazed.

"Why..." Yukiko hissed as she got back up. She bit down on her lip to contain her sobs. "Why can't you just be a decent human being?" she shrieked, scratching his face before he could even react and then attempting to run out of the room. Now Izuna stepped in, grabbing her by her arms and keeping her restrained against a wall.

"You little bitch," Madara spat, grabbing her and pulling her away from his brother. "Get out, you two,"

"Don't, Madara. Try and stay calm," Izuna warned, touching the leader's bleeding cheek. "She's prone to these little episodes, let her cool off,"

Yukiko's sobs couldn't be held in any longer. A nightmare, she wanted it to be a nightmare and she wanted desperately, more than anything she'd ever wanted, to just wake up and be back with her clan.

"Izuna, get out of my room now, before I put you out myself," Izuna knew that threat very well, grabbing Atsuko's wrist and pulling her to the door with him.

"Don't do something you'll regret, Nii-san," he said before leaving.

"Izuna-sama, we're just going to leave them!" Atsuko exclaimed, shocked by what was going on.

"Hm? Yes we are. Yukiko will be fine. He was just shocked he didn't move in time. She got a good smack on him though, don't you think?" Izuna laughed, trying to hide his nerves from her. He did believe in Madara though and that hopefully, he could be kind to someone other than his little brother.

* * *

><p>Yukiko cried for what seemed like hours, her front being pushed against the wall by Madara until her tears turned to gentle whimpers. He then turned her to face him. Her eyes fell on the three slivers of red on the left side of his face. She felt a sudden pang of guilt that she managed to suppress.<p>

"Are you done?" Madara asked, his voice strained. She nodded, feeling as if she'd lost her voice but she managed a phrase.

"I gave you...all..." she rasped. "All...of my respect,"

Respect? That was what she was concerning herself with? Ah...

"You think dragging you all the way to the Fire Daimyo's palace to get some clarity on your situation wasn't showing you respect?" he argued. "Or overlooking every time you've attacked me, each comment you've made about how my clan operates. What part of that isn't showing respect?" he ended up raising his voice despite the fact he had been trying not to.

"It's all conditional, just to make sure I give you the information on the Senju," she said, her voice still quiet and cracked.

"Respect is respect, don't try to manipulate it to make me sound bad. I'm not the bad guy here, Ginhana. I'd say it's you. You stroll around her expecting everyone to be kind to you just because that's what you feel you deserve. I'd go as far to say you're quite spoilt. I want that information, I won't lie. However you need to give me more than that," Madara explained, having regained his temper somewhat.

"What more can I give you, Madara-sama? I'm handing you delicate information entrusted me by allies to my clan and...They're my friends. How can you ask anything more from me?" she asked, shocked he'd want something else.

"All I want from you right now, Ginhana, is…" he pulled her close to him and his lips seized hers in one easy motion. He wasn't even wasting time with her anymore as his tongue forced its way into her mouth to begin that dance of dominance all over again.

How dare her body! Betraying her so easily, perhaps now because she had grown used to his touch...But how could it abandon her? She tried to let out a protest that quickly turned to a moan.

Fire that was the answer. Every place his hands touched was instantly hot. His hands ran up her back and melted the ice that had always encased her. But Madara's flames of passion were her drug, more intoxicating than any sake she'd drank and more dangerous than any fight she'd fought.

One hand stayed on her back, pushing her closer to him, while the other trailed down to her thigh. Yukiko flinched, her body remembering instantly a touch much less familiar than Madara's.

"Don't you dare compare me to that damn Azuri," he growled, before pushing her down onto the bed behind him. Fear instantly took a hold and she tried to keep distance between her and Madara but to no avail. He immediately had her pinned down, having to keep a firm grip on her wrists. "I'm warning you, Yukiko," she was Yukiko again? It was getting confusing when she was and wasn't.

She didn't have time to argue with him though, his kisses running down her jaw line before finding her neck. He ran his tongue along the bruise he'd given her last time he'd had her so vulnerable before he began sucking and nipping at that same spot again. His free hand running up her thigh before he undid her shorts.

"N..." she tried to release a protest but he smothered it with a heated kiss. She was swiftly freed of her shorts, still trying to struggle against him though. He used his own weight to spread her legs, his hand moving aside her underwear as he did so. Yukiko was being to panic, her muffled whimpers more and more frantic until he pulled away from their kiss.

"Trust me, Yukiko," he growled, his voice low and seductive. "You'll _want _me to do this,"

How could he possibly be so sure? She'd had this before and it was a memory that haunted her. He used two fingers to gentle move over sensitive fold again and again, making a new flame spread through her. Madara kissed her again, albeit gentler this time. He then pushed those same two fingers into her. Her body flinched again, but he wasn't going to stop just because she was hesitant. He'd put this off long enough.

It felt unfamiliar to her now, she hadn't remembered this heat from Kouta. It was by no means unpleasant. The deeper those two digits went the more she seemed to...crave his touch. Her gentle whimpers turned to moans, which fuelled Madara's lust even more. It was a vicious cycle and she felt the fire taking over her was sending her higher and higher to the point where she could contain it no longer and her body finally betrayed her completely. One loud sudden gasp and that fire did surge out; the muscles within her clasping around his fingers which he swiftly withdrew.

Madara wasn't done yet though, all but ripping his clothes off and then her shirt before she'd even realised what was going on, still trying to pull herself out of the deep pleasure she'd experienced just moments before.

"Madara-sama!"

"Did you really think I'd do that for you and ask nothing in return, naïve Yukiko?" he nipped her ear lobe playfully, causing her to squeal slightly.

Just as she had been earlier her hands were pinned above her head. So that's why he did it in training…Simple practise.

She could feel him shift slightly so he was positioned well enough to enter her, the fear in her eyes only increasing.

"Please, I'm begging you…" she whimpered only to find it had made him smile.

"By all means, beg," he hissed before, with a single hard thrust, he filled her.

The pain was unimaginable, causing Yukiko to scream and bite down on his shoulder to try and stop herself from crying.

He waited for a moment, listening to her erratic breathing before he continued, another deeper and harsher thrust causing her to yelp, removing her teeth from his shoulder.

"You'll pay for that," he growled. She'd given him the opportunity now and he was more than willing to take it, settling into a rough rhythm and savouring that sweet tightness of her virgin form.

Yukiko found herself caught in a tide suddenly, the pain fizzling away to a dull ache that she could withstand and then coupled with a pleasure unlike the one she'd felt moments ago from him. It made her body heat more and more the deeper he was within her.

Madara had had more attractive women but never had he had one with such a lovely voice, the more she tried to suppress her moans the sweeter they seemed to become.

She was starting to lose control of her own body though, feeling him completely dominate her core had its effect on her deeper instincts.

Her breath was robbed from her, panting heavily as he became even rougher than before. She could hear his own breathlessness in her ear, his hot breath fanning the nape of her neck.

He could feel every inch of her and he claimed all of it. Madara found himself growling, his thrusts become even rougher than before as he surged in deeper as he released her wrists from his grasp and gripped her waist.

Her back arched instinctively, all sanity being robbed by her now. She didn't care who, someone needed to ease her of this fire she was beginning to drown in.

Yukiko was submersed in a new wave of pleasure and her voice finally found a way out.

"Ah! Ma-Madara-sama!" she cried out, her nails carving into his back, her release was much sweeter than before as her walls closed tightly around him. This sudden grip caused his own release within her without warning he groaned, temporarily blinded by the intensity.

The pair were still for a moment, trying to catch their breath. Madara rid her of his weight, lying on his back and snaking his arm beneath her to pull her to his chest.

Yukiko muttered something incomprehensible before exhaustion took her, quickly falling to sleep on his chest.

* * *

><p>Izuna sat up on the rooftop, having sent Atsuko away to get him some scrolls and information in order to be alone.<p>

The doors opened and Madara wandered out.

"So, what happened? Did you teach her respect that way?" Izuna asked, glancing back at his brother.

"I doubt we'll have another episode for a while now, I'll have you know she was hardly unwilling," Madara scoffed, earning him a confused look from Izuna.

"Excuse me? She's not exactly your biggest fan, that spot is easily taken by Raimei. So how on earth did you…" he trailed off, feeling as though he didn't need to finish that question.

"Yukiko Ginhana is the type of woman who shows her emotions best when caught off guard. She honestly, rather naively, didn't think I'd take her," the older Uchiha found himself laughing at this notion.

"Naïve indeed. So, she actually wanted you, like really wanted you and not crazy Madara making things up in his head again?"

"What do you mean again? Izuna I've taken enough women to know that they don't scream your name if they don't want you!" he snapped, angered by his brother's disbelief.

"I mean that sometimes you delude yourself. And are you sure she wasn't in the middle of saying 'Madara please get off me!'" Izuna replied, perfectly calm despite his brother's frustration.

"Izuna, you still have a lot to learn. The most crucial of these lessons is when to shut up,"

The brothers sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying the invisible comfort they got from one another. They didn't even have to word what the other was thinking; it was a bond in which they just _knew_.

"You like her," Izuna whispered after a while.

"I have no time for emotional bonds, Izuna. I have a clan to run. All I wanted was a woman to lie with,"

"You have Raimei for that," the young Uchiha pointed out.

"I have no time for this discussion right now, Izuna. Just be satisfied that for now, all I need is the bond we share as brothers," Madara got up and walked back into the Stronghold.

Izuna chuckled to himself and looked to the sky, there was very little he couldn't do anymore. He'd overcome most of his challenges in life and now it was easy sailing.

For Izuna, it was all _so _easy.

* * *

><p><strong>That lemon has been sitting in my notebook for AGES now. I can't type lemons. I have to write them in a notebook and store them until the time is right to type them up. I'm not sure why, I just feel more comfortable that way. :) <strong>

**Question time! So...Why does Hoshi hate Yukiko more than anyone else? That's all I can think of question wise! Sorry. OH! NO! What do you think of Kiyoshi now we've seen a glimpse of what he can do? Maooooow =^.^=**

**Next Chapter Title: What Comes In The Absence Of Love.**


	12. What Comes In The Absence Of Love

Helloooo! Chapter 12 and you're still here. Yay! I've been watching a lot of My Little Pony lately. Honestly it's amazing. XD I'll stop before I started prattling on about why it's so amazing.

Chapter Title: A song that reminds me of Madara's childhood and how he is now at the same time. XD 21:13 by Coheed And Cambria.

Disclaimer: I own Yukiko, Atsuko and Hayate and that's it! Oh and I guess the plot thing too. But that's it!

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twelve<strong>

**What Comes In The Absence Of Love**

Atsuko walked down to Madara's quarters, finding Hayate outside looking as flustered as usual.

"Hayate-kun, something wrong?" she asked, glancing at the door. She didn't really want to waste time but he really did always seem flustered.

"Hm, Atsuko-san? Erm, nothing's wrong. It's just…I think Yukiko-sama is upset. I heard her scream a little while after Madara-sama left and I went in to check on her and she told me to leave her alone," the guard explained, looking at the floor as he did so. "So…Did Izuna-sama ask you to come down here?"

"Yes, he did. He was worried about her earlier however I was going to come down here anyway, so excuse me," Atsuko walked past him and opened the door.

Yukiko was sat on the desk, brushing through her hair over and over again.

"Yukiko-sama," she jumped up and looked over at the maid as if she was expecting someone else. "Are you okay, Yukiko-sama?"

"Oh, erm, Atsuko…I'm fine, I just…" it wasn't like Yukiko to be so lost within herself.

"Perhaps a walk will clear your head," Atsuko offered. The Ginhana nodded, eager to leave the room as soon as she could.

Once they were out of the Stronghold she couldn't help but wonder how a simple maid was allowed to wander around doing orders for Izuna and no one asked her about it.

"Atsuko, can I ask you something?" her voice was quiet and she couldn't quite figure out why exactly. She didn't feel awful like she had after her encounter with Kouta, but she felt like she'd betrayed herself somehow and the dull ache between her legs refused to let up. "What do you honestly think of Madara-sama?"

Atsuko was silent for a while, humming to herself and looking up at the sky almost as though she hadn't heard Yukiko.

"We're not in the Stronghold anymore, so I suppose honesty will be okay. Madara-sama…" Atsuko began but paused again as she looked at Yukiko. "You've lost everything, Yukiko-sama. So has he before and I have as well. My sister committed suicide and my mother died at war. I have realised that this happens a lot to people in this world and all of them have turned out the same…Yukiko-sama, when you lose everything, you cling to what little shred of light and hope you have so desperately…You fight with more bravery and strength than those who have everything because you never ever want to feel that way again. Yukiko-sama…Our honourable leader, Madara-sama is the type of man who refuses to lose simply because he doesn't want to fall again not for a single moment does he want that glimmer of light to fade. And unfortunately for you, Yukiko-sama, while you may not have realised it yet…The light in your life now is with the Uchiha,"

Silence fell. The Ginhana wasn't sure how to react. She could've called her a liar, she could've insisted she was wrong that she'd misjudged…She _knew _Atsuko was wrong.

"There is one thing in my life now, something unseen, Atsuko, something hidden and precious to me. You're wrong, you haven't got all the pieces yet…Even Izuna-san has secrets he won't share with you," Yukiko turned and walked back to the Stronghold.

Atsuko was left stunned for a moment. Of course there were things Izuna wouldn't tell her but surely she knew everything about his plans for Yukiko. Yet Yukiko wasn't lying either, she had no reason to. Something more was going on and the maid was now curious to find out.

* * *

><p>Madara was sifting through paperwork when Yukiko came in, nervously looking around. It confused him for a moment, thinking perhaps she'd broken into the sake against despite him warning the guards not to let her at it.<p>

"How did you find me here?" he asked, barely looking up from all the plans he had to deal with for his upcoming assignment.

"I asked one of the guards. Forgive me, Madara-sama, but I'm bored and maybe I could help. I'm more than qualified," she had a point and the last thing he liked to be was shut up in his office all afternoon. He waved to her to grab a seat and sit beside him.

She was surprisingly fast, filling out various papers at once and being able to keep track of them all although perhaps that was because she'd been _raised _to do this. It did seem to come naturally to her.

They worked in silence, which he was thankful of and when they were half way through there was another knock on the door.

In walked a stunning Uchiha, Yukiko couldn't help but stare at her for a moment. She had long, glossy black hair that reached all the way down her back and not a single strand seemed out of place. Her deep grey eyes were almond shaped and framed by dense long lashes and her lips were faintly tinted with red.

She was wearing black three quarter lengths and a tight light grey vest, low cut enough to show off her ample cleavage.

"Madara-sama…" she began before her eyes were on Yukiko, who was still staring at her.

"What is it, Raimei? I'm busy," Madara snapped, still not even looking up from his work.

"Who's this?" Raimei asked, not looking away from Yukiko.

"This is Yukiko Ginhana. She's staying here," he sighed. She seemed unimpressed with this answer.

"Why?"

"That's…Actually none of your business. Besides she's helping me with work so there's no need for you to be here, is there Raimei?" Madara looked up from what he was doing now, glaring at the Uchiha.

"Is she the reason you haven't been talking to me lately?" she folded her arms and sighed, her eyes now on him.

"One of many, yes. Now leave," he ordered, giving her a stern look.

"Fine, I'll talk to you later, Madara-sama," she scoffed, promptly exiting the room.

"I doubt it," Madara muttered to himself as he got back to work.

"Who was that?" Yukiko asked as she returned to what she had been working on as well.

"Raimei Uchiha, she's just a nuisance to me,"

"She's very beautiful," she whispered, partly to herself. He gave her a curious look for a moment.

"Yes, she is," he couldn't exactly disagree with her on this point. Raimei Uchiha was a _very _beautiful woman and she had her good points as well.

"I see what Izuna-san meant…"

"Hn?"

"Oh he said I wasn't attractive by Uchiha standards. I understand what he meant now I've seen Atsuko and Raimei," she laughed quietly whereas Madara rolled his eyes.

"I will never understand women's need to compare themselves to others over something as useless as looks," he scoffed; she blinked at him a few times.

"So what should we compare ourselves over?"

"Something useful like actual skills. You're faster at paperwork, she's better at…" he stopped himself before he mentioned what Raimei was better at exactly. "Hurry up with those plans," he snapped.

* * *

><p>Izuna was doing work too, which made a change, with an assignment coming up he was filling out various records and sorting through which squads would be going.<p>

Atsuko was sitting in silence at the other end of the room, deep in thought.

"Alright, I'll bite. What's bugging you? You're quiet but you're not usually silent!" he exclaimed with a laugh. She barely looked up at him, unable to meet his gaze.

"It was something Yukiko-sama said to me…"

"Oh? You two seem to be getting close. Maybe you've found yourself another friend, which brings you up to what? Two now?" he laughed, leaning back on his chair. That was one thing he had in common with his brother, he detested sitting around doing paperwork.

"Hm? I would hardly say we're friends. Apparently there's something about this plan you have installed for her that you haven't told me…Something about a single light in her life now," Atsuko replied, her voice quite solemn. "You don't usually keep secrets from me, Izuna-sama, so I found it distressing,"

"So she didn't tell you…That's very interesting. It's fine, it's just a little white lie to keep her sweet and content for now," he shrugged, gazing up at the ceiling as he spoke.

"A little white lie? It seems to matter to her,"

"Of course it does. White lies matter to the people being lied to and that's why they're told," Izuna laughed again, unsure of where his dear maid was going with this.

"Izu-kun!" he glanced over at alarm at the sudden use of a nickname he hadn't heard in a long time. She blushed and glanced away from him. "E-excuse that…I'm not sure where it came from, perhaps old habits die hard, however it won't happen again. I'm sorry," she stuttered.

"It's fine; I'm not sure why you started calling me 'sama' in the first place. I've never thought I was above you at all," he sighed. "So what's gotten you so annoyed? You're never annoyed at me; however it's sort of cute. Are you trying to seduce me, Atsuko?"

"It's just…Lying to someone to give them a ray of hope…She's already lost too much and it all seems too cold for you, Izuna-sama," she got up and walked towards the desk. "Can't you at least tell me what you told her?"

"Fine, as long as you swear you won't tell her," he agreed, a strange look in his eyes as he did so. "Swear on _that_,"

"I swear I won't tell her," Atsuko promised, why on earth would she ever go against him? This all seemed too serious for 'a little white lie'. He was being too serious, not at all the playful Izuna he was.

* * *

><p>Madara and Yukiko were in the grand hall for dinner, which she was glad of since she'd barely eaten the day before due to her hang-over.<p>

So she was in one of her moods, the kind where she was extremely hungry and quite a bit chattier than usual.

Izuna took note of this by the time he joined them.

"Have you got all your paperwork done, Nii-san?" Izuna asked.

"Yes, I have. Have you organised all the squads now?" Madara took a sip of wine, which was strange for him to be drinking.

"I've nearly finished. Have you seen Atsuko around?" the younger Uchiha looked around the room, towards the side of the hall where the women ate. "Wow, Raimei seems to be giving you an awfully dirty look, what did you do?"

"How am I supposed to know where your damn maid is? Also how am I supposed to know what I did to Raimei as well?" Madara snapped, glancing at the aforementioned woman before looking back at his brother. "Why haven't you finished your work?

"Why? Simply because I had to talk to Atsuko and afterwards she disappeared. I was wondering if you or Yuki-chan had seen her,"

"I haven't seen her since we went for a walk earlier," Yukiko added, leaning over to see past Madara. "You know her better than I do, Izuna-san, surely you can find her,"

"I hope you didn't wander outside the Stronghold," Madara growled suddenly, she shrunk away from the pair and carried on eating alone. "That's a yes then,"

"Atsuko's the type of person that if she doesn't want to be found, you won't be able to find her. I guess I must've really upset her," Izuna sighed dramatically, apparently not as worried as he'd made out he was.

"Then you should stop bothering with her and carrying on with your work," the older brother warned.

"Oh, I will! Geez, Madara, you're nothing but anger sometimes you know that?" Izuna teased, laughing to himself.

"Don't talk that way to me; remember that I'm your older brother _and _your leader. I expect you to actually work, I can replace you!" he exclaimed. The younger Uchiha faked looking hurt.

"What happened to 'the only bond I need is the one we have'? Where's that nice brother? Seriously, Madara, you're so bipolar sometimes!" he laughed again, apparently the rest of the Uchiha were used to this sort of banter between the two and no one was particularly bothered by them.

"Shut up and eat, Izuna, I can't be bothered with you right now," Madara barked. Yukiko suddenly burst out into laughter next to him. "What?" he snapped, shocked by her reaction.

"Nothing, nothing, excuse me, Madara-sama. It's just you two actually argue like a married couple. I just…" she paused as she realised she couldn't breathe properly for a moment. "I just thought you should know. I was trying not to laugh…I'm so sorry, Madara-sama,"

Madara just scoffed and carried on eating, Izuna having joined in laughing as well.

_And just what happen to 'Don't get anymore attached to her, Izuna'? _He thought to himself as he ignored the two. Although there was no denying the pair got on well for some reason as he recalled how obedient she'd acted towards Izuna at the Fire Daimyo's palace. He was curious about that but hadn't quite questioned it until now.

* * *

><p>Atsuko wandered through the forest trying to clear her head. She couldn't actually believe what Izuna had done and it was driving her mind. She stared up at the sky as it began to rain.<p>

"Just my luck…" she whispered to herself before turning around to head back to the Stronghold. She gasped though, discovering Raimei had followed her.

"Where were you going, maid? I hope you weren't intending to abandon the Uchiha," she had her arms folded and was glaring at Atsuko, her eyes filled with disgust.

"Raimei…Why on earth would I do that? You're just looking for a fight; I'm not giving you one so can we just go back to the Stronghold now?"

"Shut up! Just because you're close with Izuna-sama doesn't mean you get to boss me around. All the women think you're so stuck up, it was your sister he was fucking, not you!" Raimei snapped just before Atsuko smacked her.

"Do not talk about Minako like that! Have you no respect for the dead? Raimei, I don't know what's gotten into you lately! Can't you just tell me instead of arguing all the time?" she sighed, walking passed the kunoichi.

"What's gotten into me? You're acting more snobbish than before and that white haired bitch is around Madara-sama way too much for my liking!"

"Ah…It's about Yukiko-sama," now Atsuko understood. "I hardly think you should worry about her, she's not trying to take our leader from you at all. I think then you're angry at me because I've been looking after her. Listen to me, Raimei, Yukiko-sama is here for a terrible reason and she'll probably be staying for quite a while," Atsuko was trying to advise her but found herself telling her off instead however Raimei had always been impulsive and quick to misjudge situations.

"So how long will it be before I can see Madara-sama again then?"

"Honestly? I think you're beyond your uses limit, Raimei. He has his eyes on her for now," the maid couldn't believe she was in such a foul mood she'd taken it out on someone else but Raimei annoyed her. Her childish infatuation was with Madara's power, not with Madara himself and, to Atsuko, that was terrible even if Raimei herself wasn't a bad person.

* * *

><p>Yukiko wandered out of the bathroom to find Hoshi glaring at her on the windowsill. Madara was nowhere to be seen though. Just the bird, whose gaze seemed more intense than his master's, was with her now.<p>

"Oh, Hoshi, it's you," she glared straight back at the bird, hoping if it felt her disdain for him he'd disappear. He flapped his wings, as if to show he wasn't bothered by her. "You and Madara-sama are very bad-tempered, I know. However it doesn't mean you can attack me all the time either! Seriously, you should learn some restraint!" she sighed, lying down in bed.

The bird swooped down next to her, leaning over her face.

"What? No, seriously, what? I've had enough of you, Hoshi. You're a bird. This morning you really hurt me when I'd _just _woken up. How would you feel if you'd just woken up and I bit you?"

Something dawned on her though. She was lying in bed having a one-sided argument with a bird that she'd decided she hated.

"When did my life become this bad that I'm talking to a bird? Although you haven't bitten me yet, that's good. Progress perhaps?" she laughed, the bird taking a step back. "Wow, does ranting at you have that much of an effect? Does Madara-sama rant to you all the time?"

She sat up, staring at him in disbelief. She nervously held her arm out and the bird willingly jumped on. He was a lot heavier than she'd thought he'd be, even though she was a kunoichi she felt her arm shaking a little.

"You seriously like me now don't you?" she found herself laughing again, stroking under his chin as she gained more confidence. "I got the bird to like me! Ha! I actually got the bird to like me! Oh why am I so happy about that?"

Perhaps it was because for the first time since her clan had been wiped out she felt as though she'd achieved something, that _something _had gone right for her.

Madara wandered in, having quickly checked over Izuna's work and was quite shocked to find Yukiko with a triumphant grin on her face as she stroked Hoshi, who seemed more than content to allow her to do so.

"You've got Hoshi to like you, how did you do that?" he asked, the bird quickly flying over to him.

"Oh, I ranted at him about how much I hated him and he seemed to respond well to it," he didn't seem surprised about this at all.

"He's much like a woman in that sense," Madara…joked?

She gave him an old look for a moment, confused.

"Did you just…make a joke, Madara-sama?" she asked, unsure whether she was actually allowed to laugh at it or not.

"Hm? Yes I did, I am allowed to make jokes as well, Ginhana,"

"W-well, you are, yes. But I was…It just doesn't seem like you," Yukiko found herself stuttering again. She was so confused by his actions; he could be angry and playful at the same time.

She was also uncomfortable being in his room with him again.

"Izuna-san is back now, surely I can stay in his room again," she said all of a sudden, looking away from him.

"Only if I let you, which I don't," he snapped, Hoshi flying out of the room immediately.

"Oh…okay, Madara-sama," there was no point arguing with him.

Madara simply walked into the bathroom to bathe before he went to sleep, leaving Yukiko to sit at the desk, watching the rain and enjoy the cold breeze coming in through the window.

While she liked the fact there was no snow, she detested hot weather as her body was simply not used to dealing with it so she welcomed the rain and the cool damp weather it brought with it.

She fiddled with her necklace, barely even noticing herself doing it, as she thought about how to tackle the problem of Madara.

She'd gone to help him with paperwork in the hope she'd feel better later on when she was alone with him again but that apparently hadn't worked.

Yukiko wondered for a moment though whether he was offended by her obvious want to avoid him.

"Ginhana," the door to the bathroom opened again. It had been dark nearly all the times she'd seen Madara in just his shorts, except of course that moment of weakness she was trying to hard to suppress, however seeing him just casually stroll out, a towel in one hand as he was drying his hair, was both very surprising for her and made her feel a pang of sadness as well.

His chest had many scars painted across it, fresh with old and some large some small. She was mesmerized though. How many wounds had he survived? Quite a few of them looked serious, near fatal even.

"Hm? What? You've never seen a shinobi's body before? I suppose you weren't paying attention to mine before..." he scoffed. He hated that look of sympathy in her eyes that he'd seen.

Yukiko quickly blushed and looked away.

"My father's," she muttered in reply.

"That doesn't count. Come here," he ordered, she knew better than to go against that tone in his voice as she nervously stood up and walked over to him.

"Madara-sama?" she hoped this wasn't going to lead her to the same trouble she'd had with him earlier.

Madara quickly grabbed one of her hands, Yukiko tried to take a step back however he pulled her back.

"Don't. Move," he growled. "Perhaps I've taken the wrong approach with you," he admitted, placing her hand on his chest.

There it was again. She could feel his heart beating inside of him, why had she expected to feel nothing at all?

"Madara-sama…Let me at least stay in contact with Hashirama-san…He'll get suspicious if you don't." she whispered.

"I will if you promise not to attack me again, if you promise to respect me,"

Not to attack him? She could do that. But perhaps she'd been lying before about giving him all her respect.

"What exactly does that entail, Madara-sama?"

"Stop insulting my methods for one," that was easily done. "_Listen and obey_," his extra emphasis seemed to specify this rule was much more important than the first. "And finally, look at me with something other than fear or hatred,"

"Alright, Madara-sama, and if I do all these I can send letters to Hashirama-sam…san?" Yukiko's hand was still on his chest, her eyes watching it carefully and she wasn't sure why.

"As long as I read them beforehand, yes,"

Now that was a gesture worthy of her respect, she gave a small smile to him as he said this.

So she wasn't stuck alone with the Uchiha now. Someone outside knew where she was and she could _talk _to someone. It was like taking the leash off of a tied up dog, the sense of freedom was elating.

"Thank you very much, Madara-sama," Yukiko hugged him, in earnest as well, just to show her appreciation although they ended up like that for a while.

Just a fleeting attraction constant as the changing weather and sure to be gone soon enough.

* * *

><p>Atsuko sat up all night weighing out her options. She'd never ever considered breaking a promise to Izuna but what he'd told her had been too much for her.<p>

By the time the sun rose and she was due in Yukiko's room though, her mind was made up. She couldn't possibly let this continue, it was beyond Izuna's normal mind games this would seriously affect the woman's life and that wasn't how he'd usually act.

She was the only one who knew, leaving her as the only one who could stop him even if the damage had been done already.

Atsuko stood outside waiting for Madara to go train with the men before she entered the room, Yukiko sat writing at the desk.

"Yukiko-sama, I need to talk with you urgently," she said after clearing her throat.

The Ginhana turned around, worried about the fear she could sense from the maid.

"What's wrong, Atsuko? Did you not sleep last night?"

"No, I did not, m'lady. I had too much on my mind. Izuna-sama…We had a conversation yesterday while he was working,"

"So I heard, he was looking for you. He seemed concerned about where you were," Yukiko cut her off but then gestured her to continue.

"Yes, he informed me of something and although he made me swear to not tell you…I can't go on knowing this. You see, Izuna-sama…He's always been playful but after my sister died he found it better to cope if he manipulated people with mind games. It was a way of staying in control perhaps. However I've always kept my eye on him, I've always wanted him to know his boundaries and I have stepped in a few times…" somehow Yukiko found that hard to believe. "However this is by far the most reckless, cold and thoughtless thing he's done, so I ought to tell you. Izuna-sama has been lying to you. I want to make sure you're calm when I tell you what about though,"

Now Yukiko was actually worried. She could almost feel the gravity of the situation if Atsuko was willing to go against Izuna just to tell her something.

"Don't worry, Atsuko, I'm calm," she lied. How could she be calm when she knew this woman would do anything for Izuna and yet here she was breaking a promise to him, to her sister's lover even?

"Izuna-sama…He told you that…That your little cousin was alive and that he'd given orders for a family to raise her and that he was keeping an eye on her, that if you went against Madara-sama that he'd have her killed. That's why you've been following Izuna-sama's orders, isn't it?" Atsuko asked.

* * *

><p>"<em>Actually let me tell you something <em>_really __interesting...You'll want to hear this," Izuna whispered, that mischievous look in his eyes. "You want to protect your family, right? Well what if all of them weren't dead? What if…say your little cousin Megami was still alive?"_

_It took her a moment to realise what he was saying. Megami? Alive?_

"_What do you mean?" she asked anxiously._

_"I mean that obviously we needed some leverage on you…I ordered a squad to keep her alive, she's being raised by a family not too far from here actually. They're an old couple of Uchihas who don't agree with Madara's way of running things, but they like me though and were willing to take care of lil' Megami,"_

"_Where are they?" Yukiko snapped, horrified by the thought of Megami in a foreign country all alone. _

"_I'll take you to her, all you have to do is hold out for a month, give Madara the information he wants and listen to what he says. If I think you're being too unfair then sure, I'll just send my men round there and have her executed. But I'm not too evil. I'll warn you beforehand, you know, in case you forget yourself for a moment," Izuna smirked as he explained all this to her. _

"_But, Megami, she's still alive and she's okay?" she grabbed the high collar of his shirt. _

"_She's fine, perfectly alive and she even has that rabbit with her,"_

_"Snowy-chan? I'll do it…I'll do anything just please don't hurt Megami," _

_Madara walked back into the room, she instantly let go and suddenly thought about how much pressure she was under now because of the brothers. _

_It didn't matter as long as Megami was alive._

_"What's with that look on your face?" Madara snapped, taking the sword out of her hands as he approached her._

_"N-nothing, he was just talking..." she replied vaguely, hardly realising he'd disarmed her. Her eyes had a glassy look to them as she looked up at him._

_"Talking? When people talk they don't usually end up in stunned silence afterwards,"_

* * *

><p>"Yes, Izuna-san has promised as long as I do as I'm told I'll see Megami again," Yukiko replied, studying the grave expression on Atsuko's face.<p>

"I'm so sorry, Yukiko-sama, your cousin was killed along with everyone else. He never gave an order to keep her alive, only that they were to find out a little bit about what she was like so he could make it seem as though he knew her and that she was still alive…But Madara-sama had no idea this had gone on!"

Yukiko was stunned into silence, unsure whether she'd heard her right.

"Yukiko-sama…"

"Get out. Please. Just…Leave me alone,"

"Please, Yukiko-sama!"

"JUST GET OUT!" she screamed, Atsuko quickly ran out of the room leaving Yukiko sobbing by herself.

Her sobbing turned into violent trembling as she stumbled to the bathroom.

That single ray of light…Gone. No. It'd never been there to begin with.

A lie. She'd worked so hard to keep herself under control for a lie. A sick and twisted lie from Izuna Uchiha. She had doubted Madara had a heart, now she realised she'd been wrong. Madara had never been the heartless one at all. She'd been fooled by the younger brother from the moment she'd arrived.

He'd had her records, seen her family members…

Yukiko was violently sick and then laid down on the bathroom floor, sobbing and shaking and then began to hyperventilate and then moments later, she completely blacked out.

* * *

><p><strong>I've had this part planned from the beginning! XD Mwhaha. God I love being horrible to Yukiko. Just so you know, in my stories, cute little kids don't tend to last very long. <strong>

**"And I've Got A Secret To Hide!" Seriously, if you listen to songs I name chapters after I always give hints and clues to what's going to happen.**

**Although this leaves a daunting question. You still got no idea why Izuna's done all this? *Shakes head* **

**Next Chapter Title: To Show You How It's Been Done To Me!**

**It seems like ages since I've had a chapter title relevant to Yukiko alone. Enjoy and review!  
><strong>


	13. To Show You How It's Been Done To Me

So, chapter thirteen! Kuu-kuu-ka-choooooo! We get to focus on Yukiko for a while now and her character. She's a lot stronger than I thought she'd be, I don't know why my own character has surprised me but I was writing and I realised it didn't seem like Yukiko so I had to get rid of what I originally did and it became this. Chapter Thirteen. My lucky number.

Also this is supposedly a pressie to TheWishperingDream who's always messaging me while I write these chapters. *hugs*

Chapter Title: Faint of Hearts by Coheed and Cambria. (I know ANOTHER C&C song for a title)

Disclaimer: I like, you know, like, totally own nothing except my OCs.

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirteen<strong>

**To Show You How It's Been Done To Me!**

Atsuko ran from the room, down to the training field to find Madara who was training with Izuna. A bad situation made worse in her opinion.

"Madara-sama, forgive me for interrupting but there's an urgent and private matter that needs your attention," Atsuko announced from the sidelines. Madara seemed unimpressed though.

"This something you've set up, Izuna?" he asked quietly, the younger brother shook his head.

"I'll deal with her once you've gone and helped her. You must admit she's not the type to intrude without good reason," Izuna explained, watching the maid with suspicion. Madara sighed and nodded, walking back with Atsuko.

"What the hell is this about?" he snapped as she led him back to his quarters.

"It's about Yukiko-sama,"

"I guessed as much!" he snapped.

"Please, allow me to explain," she pleaded outside the door, obeying Yukiko's orders to stay outside of the room.

* * *

><p>Yukiko groaned, finding herself in bed instead of the hard floor she'd remembered being on. She covered her face, feeling herself begin to cry again. She felt awful, groggy, she was aching and distraught.<p>

"Ginhana, stop crying," that deep, calm voice she knew so well now ordered. She glanced over, he was sitting beside her looking very angry.

"I..." in truth, she couldn't stop herself. She felt it was unfair to ask her to at all. "Is this not honourable?" she asked. "You said that...That shinobi have pride...Where's the pride in killing children, Madara-sama?"

"It's something we all have to deal with. You're not helping anyone just lying around crying over it," he growled. Atsuko was right though, this hadn't been like his brother at all. He threw Kiyoshi to her.

"I...I don't know what you want from me anymore..." she grabbed her sword and sat up.

"This is an order, Ginhana, you're going to go to Izuna and spar with him. Deal with this the proper way. I'm not having you two getting in my way when I have work to do. You're not more than a pair of kids yourselves," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her up with him. "Besides he's injured, you may stand a chance of winning," he dragged her out of the room and down to the training field. However, according to the men, Izuna left just after Madara had claiming he had to go see Atsuko.

"Dammit, Izuna!"

* * *

><p>"You lied to me, Atsuko," Izuna appeared at her room, she flinched at the sound of his voice.<p>

_Be strong..._She told herself.

"I'm so sorry, Izuna-sama, I just...What you did was beyond wrong and I couldn't let it go on any longer," Atsuko replied, turning to face him. His arms folded as he leaned against the far wall, he raised a hand to a lock of his hair and twirled it around his fingers as he thought for a moment.

"Was it actually wrong? I got more out of her than Madara did,"

"That's not the point! Why are you doing this?" she cried, feeling frantic for a moment. She didn't want to lose him, she didn't want to sever their bond but she was so confused.

"I'm doing this for us all. For me, for you and for Madara. We're all being controlled by either a Daimyo or the Uchiha council. It ends now," he growled coldly.

"The council? What do they have to do with this?" Atsuko asked, now he really wasn't making sense.

"They want him to marry Raimei and to end this feud with the Senju and to make peace with the Azuri. They'll destroy this clan's pride and I won't let them do that to Madara!" they really were brothers, both working in secret to defend the other. She shook her head and laughed.

"The council can't force Madara-sama to do a single thing. He won't back down,"

"They can. They know how to push his buttons, that damn Yoshi is the one who trained us. When you make a monster...It's up to you alone to destroy it. He forced us to become this strong he just didn't realise..."

"Realise that Madara-sama would just use him and abandon him," Atsuko finished his explanation for him. She had been there, she knew what had happened. "However my father has nothing to do with this, he won't force Madara into anything and this has nothing to do with Yukiko-sama," he hadn't cleared anything up.

"There's a lot more to this than what meets the eye. I'll have to talk to the Senju at some point but for now, Atsuko, just know that she is essential to my plan but that can change,"

* * *

><p>Madara and Yukiko wandered around, she was feeling drained though and didn't think now was the time to try talking to him. He seemed extremely furious, more than she'd seen him before. Izuna suddenly appeared in front of them in a puff of smoke.<p>

"You were looking for me, Nii-san?" he asked, tilting his head to one side.

"You know damn well I was. Where were you? Oh I don't care. You're going to sort this out with Ginhana and then finish your work!" Madara snarled.

"Sort this out with her? Is there anything I can do to make this up to you, Yuki-chan?"

"No, I never trusted you. Actually, just don't try to make it up to me. Don't pretend it's something that can be resolved. We'll be fine," Yukiko turned and walked off. Cold, she wanted to stay cold.

"Wow, that was...interesting. So I just need to _not _apologise and just carry on acting the same way?" Izuna laughed looking to Madara who was frowning.

"Go do your work, Izuna. I expect it to be done by dinner. I'll deal with Ginhana,"

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked before he left.

"Izuna, I don't trust your notion of a good idea right now. Just stay away from her," Madara snapped.

Yes, this all could have been so easy...

* * *

><p>There was a knock at Atsuko's door, which although it meant it wasn't Izuna, didn't stop her from feeling nervous.<p>

"Come in," she called, Yukiko walked in, inspecting how much smaller and plainer Atsuko's room was. Just a wardrobe and a tiny desk which had a photo on it. A photo of a young Atsuko and what could only have been her sister, those same wavy locks of hair and that same gentle smile was on the desk.

"Yukiko-sama, what's wrong?"

"Hm? I just want to say thank you. Thank you for your honesty, I know how hard it must have been for you to go against Izuna-san. I...I appreciate what you've done for me," she was trying to hold in tears, having been ordered not to cry.

"Sometimes, we need to do things for the people we love that they can't do for themselves. For Izuna-sama, he doesn't know what he's gone too far sometimes and he doesn't know when to stop. My sister used to deal with that but now it's up to me," Atsuko, too, was trying to hold in her emotions. However neither woman was doing very well at it.

"Was he that bad when he came to see you?" Yukiko asked, sitting down on the bed next to the maid.

"No. He wasn't. But...I couldn't help but think that if I was more like...More like," now Atsuko couldn't hold back any longer, allowing herself the simple act of crying. It was something she always tried to resist doing. "If I was more like Mina...This would never have happened. If I was stronger and if I could just be braver..." Yukiko embraced her, letting her own tears flow.

It was another situation where she knew exactly what her father would say and do.

"Don't you see, Atsuko? You are strong and brave. You went against Izuna because it was the right thing to do, isn't that what your sister would have done?" she asked the Uchiha. It was something that was part of being a clan leader, her need to help others before herself. However the women sat like that for a while just crying. It had been a tough day for the both of them but there was a bond of friendship forming between the two.

"You should be grateful to Madara-sama though. He's the one who got you off the bathroom floor. He won't punish his own brother though, I think he was relying on you to do that," Atsuko said, breaking the hug and talking honestly for a moment. "Don't take it out on him, he's our leader but he had no idea any of this was happening,"

* * *

><p>Madara sat in his office, checking through all his plans again, making sure he had everything covered when Yukiko walked in, solemn but seemed to be a little better. She was much stronger than he had her down for, a clan leader through and through.<p>

"Need any help, Madara-sama?" she asked quietly, he took a moment to reply. Raised to be a clan leader, she must have felt very redundant now she had nothing she was raised to do to do.

"Hm, you can come look over these plans," he nodded at her to shut the door and handed her a set of papers. She took a moment to sift through them.

"You realise you should bring Genshi's squad with you, he's a much better sensor and has more experience on the battlefield,"

"How do you know that?" he growled, confused for a moment.

"I read through your sensor and defence squads before you came and dragged me away from the scrolls a few days ago," she replied, placing the plans down.

"Just so you know, Genshi is injured right now. His squad is useless without a decent leader," he pointed out with a sigh. There was a pause before he looked up at her with a calculating look in his eyes.

He had wanted her gone by the time the assignment came up. However if they had a better sensor squad with them it would improve their performance a lot, reducing the amount of time they'd be gone and the amount of injuries they'd sustain.

"Unless you lead his squad,"

"Excuse me, Madara-sama?" she asked, slightly confused.

"Unless you lead Genshi's squad. You have more than enough experience in tracking to lead them for an assignment, however like an Uchiha I won't accept failure from you. If you think you'd be unable to deal with this then I don't even want to hear an answer," he warned, earning a stern look from him.

"I thought you didn't have kunoichi in your squads," Yukiko folded her arms.

"It doesn't matter for you, you're not an Uchiha. I had to stop kunoichi from joining us for the good of the clan, not for some sensitive notion of justice," Madara sighed.

"Hm...I'll lead the squad then. Perhaps it will make me feel a little more like myself,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko spent the rest of the week throwing herself into the task of leading a group of Uchiha. Thankfully sensors, by nature, were calmer, more placid and peaceful shinobi and the Uchiha were no exception to that rule.<p>

There were only three Uchiha, two were fairly experienced, Aoi and Kohaku. Aoi was fairly young, a few years older than Madara, however he was quick to learn. His hair was deep brown, like chocolate and shoulder length and he had a curious habit of biting his nails when he was trying to sense chakra.

Kohaku, on the other hand, was quite old nearing 40. His hair was deep grey and he was quite the father figure to a few Uchiha. He had a tendency to scold Yukiko for various minor things such as the way she dressed, the length of her shorts, how clean her hair was. It did make her laugh though.

They had a novice, apparently he was Genshi's apprentice and despite being talented he was quite doubtful about his abilities, his name was Takehiko. He was only 14 and Yukiko found herself worrying about his lack of combat skills. She often took him aside to teach him some self-defence every now and again. He was very sweet though and Kohaku had a playful habit of pulling him by his short deep blue hair to force him to keep up with the rest of the group.

The day before the assignment though, which was a battle over a plot of land with the Azuri and a clan called the Fumi, the group were sat outside just relaxing which Yukiko had insisted on.

"Yuki-sensei, I have a question," Takehiko said, looking up from a drawing he was working on. "How did you become so good at tracking and fighting?"

"You've never been to the Land Of Water, Hiko-chan!" Kohaku laughed, glancing up from a book. "It's covered in snow and water. You can't find anything unless you train from a young age to do so,"

"Actually I have a terrible sense of direction," Yukiko admitted with a shrug, earning a glance from Kohaku. "But I am good at finding people, just I get lost in rooms. I still can't find my way back to Madara-sama's room properly,"

She'd barely seen Madara except at night however he did insist on making sure the mark on her neck stayed but that was all, both seemed fairly focussed on success of the mission.

Madara was focussed on the good of the clan and Yukiko was focussed on keeping her mind off everything else and trying to feel useful.

"You what? Ugh, never mind, Yuki-chan, I'll lead you around you just track down those Fumi and Azuri when I get us where we need to be," Kohaku reassured, patting her on the back.

"Thank you, Kohaku-san, that's the point of being a team. We have to help each other's weaknesses," she laughed, glancing over to Aoi who was busy meditating.

"Aoi-kun, can you keep an eye on Takehiko-kun while we're out there as well?" she asked, knowing that Aoi was the strongest physically of them all.

"I will, Yukiko-san, and we'll have to have Kohaku keeping an eye on the messenger birds as well," Aoi replied with a sigh.

"Oh no, don't worry. I have my own special messenger who'll keep us in direct contact with Madara-sama," she looked up to the sky, Hoshi swooping down to sit on her shoulder. "You'll do that for me, won't you, Hoshi?" she pulled out a dead baby chick and fed it to the hawk who hungrily snatched it from her hand.

"Yuki-chaaan!" Izuna came out the Stronghold ran out to the training field. He'd been doing this every day and she was growing weary of him being around, she regretted saying they would be fine but she wasn't going to take it back now.

"Yes, Izuna-san?" she asked, getting up and walking down to meet him.

"You don't look like you're training very hard at all," he pointed out, holding his hand out to Hoshi who promptly bit it. "Oh you little...Why can't you just like me? Please?" he growled, pouting.

"We aren't training. There's no point exhausting ourselves when we're the first squad to leave tomorrow," Yukiko replied, scratching under Hoshi's chin. "Go find Madara-sama," she whispered to him. He flew off, leaving the pair alone.

"Hm, that makes sense. I'll be with the second batch leaving, Madara will be right behind you though! Won't that be nice? I was wondering if you'd seen my little maid, I can't seem to find her anywhere," Izuna looked around as though he was expecting her to appear as soon as he mentioned her.

"She'll be in the sewing room, Izuna-san. Can't you keep track of her?" she laughed, waving a hand to dismiss him before heading back to her squad.

"Thank you, Yuki-chan! I'll see you at dinner later!" he called as she walked off. She tried to hide her grimace and sat back down, reading through scrolls containing all the Uchiha squads.

"What did Izuna-sama want?" Kohaku asked, while he called him 'sama' Izuna was one of the other people he tended to be fatherly towards perhaps because Izuna was only 18, a fact she frequently forgot.

"He was trying to find Atsuko,"

"Ah, she's a lovely girl. He should just be with her, she'd be good for him," the old Uchiha sighed.

"Hm? I didn't think you were one for gossip, Kohaku-san. Although you're probably right," Yukiko laughed.

"I'm hardly gossiping, it's the truth! And you'd better be in your best kimono for our pre-battle dinner tonight, and sort out that hair. Perhaps a bun..." Kohaku rambled on for a while before Aoi interrupted him.

"Kohaku-san, don't you think you're asking too much of Yukiko-san?"

"Not at all! She'll be sitting beside our leader, she may as well pay attention to her appearance! This is a big occasion!" he exclaimed, his attention dragged from Aoi back to Yukiko.

"It's that big an occasion?"

"Of course! If this meal falls flat then our entire mission may be compromised by a bad omen!" Kohaku shouted in shock.

"Oh, Kohaku, please don't start with those silly old child tales," a new, deep voice, all them turned around, seeing a man the same sort of build as Madara just with deep brown hair tied up tightly on crutches.

"Genshi-san, it's true!" Takehiko chimed, causing their leader to sigh and roll his eyes.

"I'm only here to meet your new squad leader for now, we'll discuss this matter at dinner later," Genshi growled, she jumped up and nodded.

"Genshi-san, I'm Yukiko Ginhana. You broke your leg? Dear god how?" she asked as the pair walked away from the rest of the group.

"I did it in training or rather, Madara-sama did it. A foolish mistake on my part however. You seem to have mixed well with my squad, I'll be honest I was concerned when Madara-sama informed me a woman would be taking over my squad for this mission. I was much more reassured when he told me it would be Yukiko Ginhana though, I've heard a lot about your father and his abilities, I see you have his sword as well," Genshi seemed to talk very calmly but at the same time she felt he was definitely a very wise, strong man.

"Yes, Kiyoshi is a very precious heirloom, your squad is very well balanced and all of them are very mild tempered,"

"Hm, they are mild. I feel it's important to go into battle with a level head. If not you'll become flustered and your judgement will be clouded. Sensors are a much bigger part to an army than many think, with good sensors in an army you hold a very big advantage on the battlefield," Genshi explained, a small smile on his face as he did so.

"I understand, I won't let you down, Genshi-san,"

* * *

><p>The dinner was bursting with life, Yukiko was stunned at how much the Uchiha seemed to enjoy the promise of battle. Everyone was laughing and joking and yet at the same time no one seemed to be drinking in order to stay in top shape the next day.<p>

Yukiko had borrowed a deep blue kimono from Atsuko which had earned her a thumbs up from Kohaku. She rolled her eyes though, fed up with the false pretence for once.

But this was a night for good cheer so that the mission would go well, she smiled as she looked out to the others. For a faint moment she was remembering her home.

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko sat out in the stone garden, aged 7, looking up at the sky. Cloudy with snow gently falling however she was in good spirits. Her maid walked in calling her over. <em>

_"Yukiko-sama, come here, I have a surprise for you!" _

_"I knew it'd be a good day, Yui! I did!" she cheered, jumping up and running straight past the maid. _

_"Yukiko-sama, careful!" Yui laughed, as she watched the young girl rush straight into the arms of her father. _

_"Papa! You're home early! Did we win, papa?" she asked as he lifted her up. _

_"We sure did, your mother stayed back to deal with a few things but I'm home and tonight we'll have a big dinner and everyone will be happy. No more fights for a while, okay?" _

_"And then one day there'll be no more fighting ever!"_

* * *

><p>There were a lot of things said about her father, mainly about his skill as a leader of men and with a sword. However Yukiko remembered the dreams he had as well.<p>

Perhaps it wasn't ideal but she could see that Madara wanted the same thing for his clan her father had for their clan and that was something she couldn't help but admire that much.

Yes, for the past week she'd been doing as she'd been ordered despite everything. Every command had been obeyed, she looked at Madara with something other than fear and hatred it had been with respect and she hadn't made a single comment about how she ran things. Until now.

"Madara-sama, if I may say something," she whispered to him, not wanting Izuna to hear her.

"What, Ginhana?"

"I think that you are a good leader and a decent human being," he looked at her with shock for a moment. "Even if you did break Genshi-san's leg," she added with a laugh.

"Oh he said that did he?" Madara arched an eyebrow in intrigue.

"He did, he also said it was because he made a mistake,"

"It was more than a mistake, I couldn't exactly leave it unchecked," he scoffed. This was yet one conversation with Yukiko he was beginning to enjoy, despite staying away from her all week.

"I think that a part of me...Always knew Izuna-san was lying to me," she said suddenly. "But I didn't want to admit that I'd really lost it all until the very end, until I absolutely had to. I had the same thing when I heard my father had died,"

"It doesn't matter anymore. Just focus on tomorrow, I won't accept anything less than perfect from a clan leader,"

* * *

><p><strong>Ah! I had to put more characters. I like Yukiko's squad, they seem cool. At least she and Hoshi are getting on well and with everything happening she's had a break from Madara which has actually made her a lot nicer towards him since there's no anger or bitterness around the pair for now since they've had no times to have any disputes. She's still not happy with Izuna but I'm not sure she ever will be again :( <strong>

**Kohaku is a great guy, I like Kohaku. XD **

**Soooo, what'll you think will happen between Madara and Yukiko now? **

**Next Chapter Title: My Candle Burns Without A Doubt!**


	14. My Candle Burns Without A Doubt

So, we're off to fight! At last Yukiko has a chance to fight someone _other than_ Madara...So it's Azuri and Fumi against the Uchiha. With the Azuri around I wonder who'll show up...=3

Chapter Title: Not An Angel by City Sleeps.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, just my OCs. This A/N is looking very short. :( I apparently have nothing to talk about. Well my hamster, Izuna, has a new cage. It's massive! It's a guinea pig cage, that's why. I love my hamster...ON WITH THE CHAPTER NOW!

**~ The Detective Prince**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fourteen<strong>

**My Candle Burns Without A Doubt!**

Yukiko was out of the Stronghold and nearing the battlefield by the time the sun was rising.

They were headed towards the Land of Water, not actually to it though or she would have immediately declined the request to lead the squad, but to a place called the Land of Hot Water. Apparently a dispute had broken out between the Hot Water Daimyo and the Fire Daimyo and they were to settle it and the only way to settle anything the Uchiha way was to apparently crush the enemy until they have no other choice but to concede.

The squad stopped, crouching close to the ground.

"Alright, team, we'll need a quick headcount and then we'll deal with the task we've been assigned," Yukiko hissed, using her Ice Threads while the other three were simply able to perceive the army.

"That's 400, isn't it?" she asked them, making sure she'd counted right.

"It is, our target isn't there yet. He's 3 miles north of here. If we want to split him from the army we'll need to move now," Aoi answered her, looking up at the sky as Hoshi landed in front of Yukiko.

She quickly wrote a note and handed it to the bird.

"Alright then, we'll leave the army to, well, the army and we'll head off and cut our target off now. Takehiko-kun, will you be able to keep up with us?" she noticed he was lacking stamina, apparently he hadn't been able to sleep properly.

"I'll try," he muttered nervously, Kohaku grabbed his hair.

"This is war, Hiko-chan! You can't be just trying and hoping it'll work out! Now move it!" Kohaku scolded and the team were on the move again.

Madara received Yukiko's note, reading it quickly with a frown.

"What's wrong, Nii-san?" Izuna was quickly by his side, reading over his shoulder. "You having regrets?"

"No, I'm trying to figure out why he's not there yet. You can't trust the Azuri, they'll have something planned and while we hold the obvious advantage here...I'm just trying to think," Madara replied, tapping his brother's back after he burnt the note and turned to his army.

"Alright, it may just be the Azuri and the Fumi but I expect nothing less than perfection from you! We are, after all, Uchiha!" he bellowed, which seemed to get them ready for a proper fight.

"Madara, you've put a lot of faith in Yuki-chan. If she were to fail or betray us…" Izuna began.

"She won't. She puts on a pretty show but she wants this as much as we do,"

* * *

><p>"Target is in sight now, how're we going to approach this, Yuki-sensei?" Takehiko whispered, he could feel the sweat beginning to form on his forehead. The expansive field before them provided little cover aside from a few trees they'd hidden away in.<p>

"I'll approach him alone," Yukiko answered, slowly getting up.

"What? Are you insane? Yuki-chan, you can't go alone," Kohaku hissed, grabbing her arm.

"I never said I was _going _alone. You'll just be my backup. There's a lot I need to talk to him about. If I give the signal then you can come and help me," she ordered before breaking cover and landing perfectly in front of Kai Azuri.

"Ah, the winter fox, it's been a while. Sorry I had to run off before; Madara Uchiha decided to chase me away. I was just here for a walk," Kai laughed, folding his arms.

"Kai Azuri, you're about to go into battle and you've got time for a walk?" Yukiko asked. She didn't find this twin nearly as detestable. It was something in his voice and the way he held himself. He wasn't as arrogant as Kouta.

"Hm? Oh that little thing going on. I'm not an idiot. I have no desire to be crushed by Madara and his army; in fact I have no desire to even fight at all but you coming here makes a difference," Kai explained, glancing around the field.

"What difference does it make exactly?

"Hm, well. Say someone like me was going to place a bet on this fight. My heart would say I should place it on the Azuri, as they are my clan. However I would place it on the Uchiha simply because I know they will win. Then say someone like me was going to place a bet on the likelihood of Yukiko Ginhana turning up here. I'd immediately say you would for the simple reason that Madara, considering his history, wouldn't leave you alone at the Stronghold. _Then _say I struck a bargain with the Water Daimyo say that if I were to capture you and bring you back to him. You can repent for your sins then. Do you see how this makes a difference?" Kai asked, folding his arms and looking over at the trees where her squad was hiding.

"_"We'll get all of this sorted with the Water Daimyo and receive our payment. It'll be a big one this time guys, no fighting for at least a month! Hope you've all got plans!"_

She wasn't going to fail another team, even if they were Uchiha. Her grip on Kiyoshi tightened.

"I…" she took in a deep breath, glaring up at Kai. "I won't you take me and I won't let you get away either…" she could almost see Izuna in the clearing on the night she'd been captured in her mind all over again. "I won't let that happen anymore!"

She drew Kiyoshi and launched at him, trying to aim just _one _hit on him, that's all she need.

But she was fighting someone faster than she'd expected and in a flicker he was behind her.

Again her mind flashed that image in her mind, she ducked down low and turned trying to kick him. Kai quickly stomped on her leg and brought out a kunai, laying a scratch on her right eye before she managed to roll away.

"Were you trying to blind me?" Yukiko asked with a small smile.

"Yes, it is a shame though. You have very pretty eyes," Kai teased.

"Oh that is a shame. I'm already blind in that eye," she threw several shuriken at him to gain some space between the two. She glanced over at where her squad were hiding only to find them lying at the base of the trees. "Ah! Kohaku-san!" she tried to rush to them but was cut off by Kai who appeared in front of her, trying to grab her. Instincts kicked in and she jumped back, trying to cut him with Kiyoshi again.

"Hm? You think you can come to me, the new leader of a clan specializing in sensory techniques, and think I wouldn't be able to find three ninja in a tree? Silly fox," the Azuri laughed but Yukiko was confused about what had happened to them exactly.

She didn't make any reply though, breaking the blade on Kiyoshi and forming it. She clenched her eyes shut to imagine the shape she needed.

Kai quickly punched her in the stomach but the blade had already reformed into a hawk, soaring up into the sky.

* * *

><p>Madara sliced down three Fumi ninja at once before he realised there was a bird screeching above him. He expected to see Hoshi with an update from Yukiko, noting she was behind schedule which was something he hadn't expected from her.<p>

"My, a silver bird. How pretty!" Izuna exclaimed, his own attention being drawn away.

_Madara laid down in bed, sighing to himself as Yukiko walked into the room._

_"Ah, Madara-sama, I wanted to tell you something about the battle tomorrow," she said, untying her hair._

_"Hn?"_

_"I'll use Hoshi for messages obviously but I wanted you to know something. If I'm in trouble I'll send you Kiyoshi," she explained, walking into the bathroom to undress. _

_"Send me Kiyoshi? Why would I need that damn sword of yours?" he asked, sitting up._

_"It doesn't matter; you'll know what I mean when it happens or rather, if it happens," _

Madara shook his head.

_Just who does she think she is? I'm supposed to just come running when she calls? _He thought to himself with a grunt.

"Come, Nii-san we have no time for bird watching!" Izuna snapped. He was right though, they had no time to be so casual.

* * *

><p>Yukiko had taken several good punches from Kai, who was proving to be much more proficient in taijutsu than she was, and her patience was wearing thin.<p>

"Ice Style: Deadly Hail jutsu!" she sent out several sharp icicles to try and regain some ground. She had him read. He was good at taijutsu and genjutsu however he lacked ninjutsu. She, on the other had, used ninjutsu and genjutsu but lacked physical strength without Kiyoshi.

That was what was worrying her. Kiyoshi was gone, hopefully sending her message to Madara, and hadn't returned yet which meant Madara wasn't coming. She was berating herself though, why had she expected him to help her?

Yukiko shook those thoughts immediately and realised she had to protect her squad and herself. She had to prove Madara wrong, that she could be every bit as perfect as his army of elites even if she wasn't an Uchiha and if she did perhaps it'd take his pride down a notch.

She hadn't been concentrating though, a sudden grasp on her wrist and then twisted around her back. Kai had her in his grip now. She attempted to kick her but was swiftly placed on the ground where Kai sat on her.

"Shh, winter fox. I'm not my brother, I only take willing women. Actually I simply want to talk for now. Why are you always going against the Water Daimyo?" he asked, stroking her hair.

"Why? Have you ever lived under a tyrant, Kai? My clan lived in fear that one day we would be exterminated. Well look what happened, we were wiped out like a plague of insects!" she shouted. Maybe she was angrier than she'd thought. It had come to her when she sat with the Fire Daimyo.

"I don't care about that. I don't even care about my clan, I care about myself and I've received a good offer from him. That's all that matters," Kai admitted, observing the look of horror on Yukiko's face with great interest.

"How could you possibly not care about your own clan?"

"They abandoned me when they realised my brother was better. We were twins, completely identical until we started training and it became apparent that Kouta was much more talented than I was. Now he is dead and they come crawling to me in the hopes that I will lead them to greatness. I will lead them to death though, abandon them as they did me!" he declared, his voice colder than she could ever be. Kai was deadly serious though, she could sense it but to her the idea was unfathomable.

To be so filled with hatred for his clan, it was disturbing to say the least.

"But...surely you love them. They are your family, as much as your brother was," she pointed out, watching him with alarm in her eyes.

"My brother? Kouta was a fool, an arrogant man who lusted after power. Don't get me wrong, I loved my brother as a brother. But as a man? I had no respect for him and even less as a clan leader!" Kai's weight was beginning to cause her some trouble breathing. "Surely you can understand that! I could tell as soon as I met you he'd at least attempted to force himself on you. That disgust in your eyes speaks volumes and quite frankly, it's disgusting in itself. You're like everyone else, Yukiko, you look at me and all you see is my brother,"

How right he was. She couldn't get the image of Kouta out of her head at all. How could she though? They were identical twins! But it did lead her to a new thought.

"What's it like, Kai? What's it like when everyone looks at you like you're Kouta?" she asked, trying to move to give herself room to breathe.

He suddenly smacked her.

"Don't try that negotiating with me! I'm taking you to the Water Daimyo whether you like it or not! Hell I'll do it even if I don't want you!" he yelled, but she could sense he seemed confused for a moment.

"Then why haven't you taken me yet?"

There were barely 50 Fumi and Azuri left when Madara looked up again, the bird was still there and apparently he was going to hang around until Madara headed off.

"Izuna, can you handle the rest? We've won this," he asked, Izuna seemed surprised.

"Of course I can. I could've handled this about an hour ago. Are you going to go see Yuki-chan?" Madara nodded and left, Kiyoshi swooping low to help lead him along.

It took him barely 15 minutes to reach the field, finding Yukiko standing alone.

"Ginhana!" she turned around and blinked several times before speaking, her clothes covered in blood.

"Hm? Madara-sama...I..." she fell to one knee, coughing several times. He walked over to her, noticing that she had a deep wound on her side and then one across her right eye.

"Where's that Azuri? I told you to take him out," he asked, the battle he'd just fought had made him numb to her wounds.

"He got away, I'm sorry, Madara-sama...I..." Kiyoshi landed next to her, pecking at her shirt sleeve. "Kiyoshi...The Water Daimyo wants me arrested and brought to him for high treason," she explained, managing to stand up.

"You failed? Tch, it hardly matters now. The battle was won but you will need to go after him at some point," Madara snapped.

She moved over to her squad. They were alive; apparently they'd just been knocked out.

"I'll go as soon as I've…I've…"

* * *

><p>Madara came skulking back to the meeting point before they were setting off back to the Stronghold, he barked an order that one squad were to head back and get Takehiko, Kohaku and Aoi.<p>

"Madara, I'm not the type to question you…Actually I am but anyway, why is Yuki-chan on your back?" Izuna asked, following him as he led the rest of his men down to the Stronghold which would take another two or three hours to reach.

"She collapsed and needs urgent medical care, what else was I supposed to do?" Madara snapped, usually winning a battle put him in a good mood but having to practically care for a woman who had, as she'd explicitly said, been raised to lead a clan was really wearing his already thin patience thin.

"Leave her like the others or are you still keeping up the whole 'she's mine' thing?" Izuna was practically bouncing along side him.

"Shut up, Izuna!"

"That's a yes,"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko just stared at him blankly for a moment. She still couldn't believe Kai was deadly serious about slaughtering his clan. <em>

"_You're in quite the rush, are you sure you don't want to head back to the Land of Water faster than you put on you do?" Kai asked, slowly getting up but keeping her wrists in his grip._

"_I'm certain I never want to go back there," she was waiting for the slightest chance to attack him._

_He may not have been trying to force himself on to her but Kai seemed just as detestable as Kouta had been. _

"_You're happy to abandon your homeland and yet I want to abandon my clan and that's a bad thing to you? There's some hypocrisy there," he laughed. _

_Now. Yukiko kicked at his wrists, his hold on her being relinquished instinctively. She drew out a kunai and managed a cut along his chest. _

"_Bad fox!" he snarled grabbing her and shoving his own kunai into her side. They both stood deathly still for a moment. _

_Pain, an intense white hot pain spread through them at the same time and they both fell back, Yukiko falling to the floor panting. _

_Kai suddenly glanced over to the side._

_"Shit…We'll finish this another time. But next time, you will be taken back to the Water Daimyo and you WILL stand trial for high treason!" _

_In a puff of smoke he was gone, Yukiko shakily got to her feet just in time for Madara to turn up._

_Apparently Kai wasn't foolish enough to underestimate Madara like Kouta had._

* * *

><p>There was a ringing in Yukiko's ears, her eyes fluttering open. In front of her she could see the sun rising from behind the Stronghold barely a mile away.<p>

The sight was breathtaking, it needed no interpretation and her hazy mind didn't give it any. It was beauty in its simplest form. She glanced around, realising she was being carried on Madara's back.

Yukiko and Madara were a hot piece of gossip amongst the clan so seeing him carry her would hardly stop any rumours; in fact it may just confirm them.

"Yuki-chan! You need to get some more sleep! Look at me!" Izuna exclaimed, she did as she was told looking down at Izuna as his Sharingan quickly put her back to sleep.

"Well, Madara, should I report to the council or will you?" Izuna asked.

"I will. Why would you go?" Madara sighed.

"Maybe I want to see Sensei again. We hardly go see the council anymore. Besides maybe you want to sit by Yuki-chan's bed and hold her hand…" he teased playfully.

"Izuna, I'm warning you. I am _not _in the mood,"

* * *

><p>By the time Yukiko was awake again it had been two days since her encounter with Kai.<p>

Her side was still very painful, the cut above her eye had needed stitches as well but she was recovering. She recognised where she was without even opening her eyes though.

She could smell something like musk mixed with book pages. It was the only way she could describe Madara's scent.

Her eyes opened slowly to find the room's occupant was nowhere to be seen, instead there was a box next to her head with a note saying.

_To Yukiko, _(there had originally been a 'sama' at the end but was hastily marked out)

_I hope you make a speedy recovery and I have brought you a gift for company. Please ask Madara-sama to forgive me but I had to get Izuna-sama's permission to collect this gift._

_All the best, _

_Atsuko_

_P.S. Takehiko, Kohaku and Aoi also wanted to see you but they're busy training. _

Slowly, Yukiko sat up the pain only increasing as she did so. The box moved causing her to flinch, it moved again.

She was unsure now whether she wanted to open it or not now she knew the contents was alive but she was never one to turn down a gift.

She shook her head, telling herself that Atsuko wouldn't give her something that would hurt her although if she'd had to gone through Izuna she was worried that may not actually be the case.

With a heavy sigh, Yukiko managed to open the box. What was in it though surprised her more than anything. A little black rabbit hopped out.

She watched it hopping around on the bed for a while before even attempting to process what was going on.

"A pet rabbit…No doubt Izuna's idea…" she muttered. "Madara-sama is not going to be happy with a pet, well he has Hoshi. What'll we name you, little guy?"

Rabbits were often kept as pets in her country which led her to suspect that maybe instead of it being Izuna's idea that perhaps Atsuko had done research on her homeland instead.

Yukiko had kept at least 6 at a time at home, they kept her company at the very least.

"Well?" she asked him, scooping him up into her arms. He was tame, clearly well taken care of as he was quite plump. "I hope we can get along…Hope…I'll call you Kibou," she whispered.

She was still confused at why Atsuko wanted her to keep a rabbit and where she was going to keep him.

There was no way Madara would even let her keep him and even if he did certainly not in his room. She glanced over to the bathroom.

"That's quite the mystery, Kibou-kun. I'm very stiff though so how about a walk around and we'll go see what we can find out. You clearly came from an experienced breeder,"

She gradually got out of bed, got changed and picked up Kibou and wandered out of the room, ordering Hayate to take her to Atsuko.

As always in the Uchiha Stronghold she had found a mystery but she was hoping this one wouldn't be too difficult to solve.

* * *

><p><strong>Yes...Let me explain the rabbit. It'll be explained next chapter. With a battle over, Yukiko injured and all next chapter will be a bit of...well...It'll be fun for a change. The reason? Well, because...Madara's busy with something important and plot related so Yukiko has a bit of a loose rein right now. I realised, writing the next chapter, if I focus on Madara's thing for it it'll get boring, seriously. So instead I'll have Yukiko doing something while Madara does his thing and then later they'll come together in a collision of language...And bunnies.<strong>

**My questiooooon! Kai. He's a shifty fellow. But do you hate him less than Kouta? Personally, I like Kai he's quite the charmer...to me anyway. And after writing his stuff I don't feel like I need to boil myself in hot water to get him off of me...Which I had to do with Kouta.**

**Next Chapter Title (Equally fun): One Week Since You Looked At Me!**


	15. One Week Since You Looked At Me

Ah, my fun chapter ended up being not so fun at all. :( But it kind of was. I had a couple of laughs with the beginning part. What can you expect? I don't do happy fun stuff! I wish I did though...Sooo another day another chapter. What am I up to now like 18 on my computer? This is becoming quite the project!

Chapter Title: If I was to say it was from the song One Week by Barenaked Ladies, would you believe me? No? Well it is so be quiet. XD

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the kunoichi, maid, whore, guard and BUNNEH!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifteen<strong>

**One Week Since You Looked At Me!**

"Perhaps, Yukiko-sama, you should stay in bed a little longer," Hayate advised, glancing at Kibou every few steps.

"If I stay in bed I'll feel really stiff so at least let me find out about this rabbit, then I'll go straight back to bed and you won't get in trouble with Madara-sama. I promise," Yukiko lied, ruffling the rabbit's head. She'd grown fond of him already; she loved animals and in particular cats and rabbits.

Dogs tended to beg for attention too much and were loud, brutish even. Cats and rabbits had a more refined look to them. She used to like birds as well but her recent run-ins with Hoshi had put a stop to that, even if she had made up with him.

"Here's Atsuko-san's room, I think Izuna-sama's in there right now though," Hayate explained nervously. Yukiko shook her head and knocked on the door to which Atsuko gave her permission to enter.

Izuna was there, lying on her bed like it was his own while she was relegated to sitting at her tiny dressing table.

"Yuki-chan! You're alive again! And you got the rabbit!" Izuna exclaimed jumping off the bed and holding his arms out to her.

She watched him carefully.

"It's called a hug, a greeting I've grown fond of lately!" he added, she shrugged.

"I'm holding Kibou-kun, maybe some other time, Izuna-san. Actually, that's why I'm here. Where did you get such a pretty rabbit from?"

* * *

><p>Madara sat down in the meeting room, the five council members studying him carefully.<p>

In the middle was a middle-aged man, grey starting to form with his short black hair. His eyes were keen though, Sharingan activated as always.

"Madara, no doubt we won our latest battle. You returned the next morning with minimum losses, I'm proud as always," the man said, although his stony expression didn't quite match the words he was saying.

"We did, I'm sure we'll receive our payment soon. Is that all, Yoshi?" Madara asked. Why did he have to run an entire clan _and still _have to answer to a council?

"Actually for once, it's not. I have some things to ask you," Yoshi's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing the leader further.

"What about?"

"Yukiko Ginhana, I've heard a few…unsettling things about you and her," suddenly Yoshi's fists clenched. "Madara, we need that information and we need it now. Why isn't she dead yet?"

"She's not dead because I haven't wanted her dead yet. I refuse to kill a woman because of a scroll the Senju put in her," Madara growled.

The elderly woman beside Yoshi cleared her throat. "Madara, you need to understand that this isn't a matter to be taken lightly and for the Uchiha to rise above all then sacrifices must be made,"

"With all due respect, Fuuka, I am the Head of this Clan not you. The Senju are beginning a full on war in the Land of Water right now so it's hardly an urgent matter," Madara snarled.

"Which is exactly why this is the time to strike them!" Fuuka exclaimed.

"No! I refuse to take Hashirama out so dishonourably. If I destroy the Senju it'll be on the battlefield as true shinobi!" he was yelling now, standing up and slamming his hands down on the table.

"Enough, both of you. Madara, there are still more things to discuss about Yukiko Ginhana so _sit down_,"

* * *

><p>"He does what?" Yukiko shrieked in disbelief, her grip on Kibou increasing sharply enough he squeaked. "I'm sorry," she whispered to him.<p>

"Madara breeds rabbits," Izuna confirmed with a knowing smile.

Her mind was conjuring strange images now of Madara lying in a field with several rabbits hopping around him. It was disturbing enough to make her head hurt.

"Why on earth does Madara-sama breed rabbits?" she asked, shaking the thought out of her mind.

"For Hoshi," he replied, a simple smile on his face as he waited for her to process with he meant. He waited for the look of horror and then anger.

"For…_Hoshi_…" there was the look. "He breeds them so his bird can hunt them and kill them?" she was shrieking again.

"That is the essence of falconry, yes," Izuna laughed.

She covered Kibou's ears as if she didn't want him to hear anymore.

"But…that's so barbaric," she hissed.

Atsuko was happy to watch this play out although she did feel like mentioning how beautiful it was watching Hoshi soar through the air and then snatch down on live prey however she felt this would make the situation worse.

"I'm…going back to Madara-sama's room now," Yukiko gave up with a sigh.

"We'll come with you, keep you company and all!" Izuna gestured the maid to follow him and the three left the room, followed by a sullen looking Hayate.

"Where does he keep the rabbits?" Yukiko asked, she suddenly stopped walking and aimed her question at Atsuko rather than Izuna.

"Oh just down a floor in the eastern section," she dutifully replied. "Would you like to go see them?"

"Yes please,"

* * *

><p>Madara stormed out of the Council room. They were fools, not a single one had ever run a clan. Instead they were just the most judgemental people his clan had to offer.<p>

His mood wasn't helped by Raimei standing just outside the room.

"Madara-sama, I was waiting for you. Perhaps we could talk now," she had a look in her eyes though, a new one for her. It was a fiery look that he couldn't be bothered with, not today.

"No, Raimei, I'm just going to go finish my reports,"

"Perhaps I could help you then. That Ginhana woman was injured, I heard and she failed her mission. Clearly she's not the sort of woman you want associated with the Uchiha," Raimei explained, following close behind him.

"I think that's for me to decide, not you," he retorted.

"Oh please, Madara-sama, I'll be frank with you for a moment,"

"Aren't you always? For once, Raimei, I want you to not be frank with me and, like my brother, learn to keep your opinions to yourself," he snapped, she blinked at him several times but continued to talk anyway apparently not getting the message he was trying to convey.

"From what I'm guessing you slept with a foreign woman and now she can do no wrong in your books. Madara-sama, can you please remember I'm your fiancée?"

"I never agreed to that which is why, after two years, we're still not married. Now, Raimei, you're testing my patience just leave me alone," he warned. It wasn't that he hated Raimei, he despised her attitude and, after two years, he wasn't interested in her any longer which was something she seemed incapable of understanding.

"Any other woman would be screaming and shouting at you! I wholly accept you've slept with another woman and…"

"Raimei, I'm being deadly serious now," he turned around abruptly, his gaze felt as though it was stabbing her. "Go away _now_," that look in his eyes and the harshness of his tone was dangerous and she found herself unable to do anything else but flee.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was stunned. As far as she could tell the rabbits were kept in better conditions than she had been in before.<p>

Their cages were spotless, they were all bright-eyed and bushytailed. It actually annoyed her more. They were treated so well and yet one day they'd be set out into a field and set upon by a ruthless hawk for fun.

"Atsuko, can you hold Kibou for me?" she handed the rabbit over, kneeling down to get a better look at them. There were about 30 of them; all kept in same sex pairs as far as she could tell.

"Izuna-san, how far is the nearest door to the field?" Yukiko asked, if anyone was willing to help her with this it was going to be the troublesome playful fox that was Izuna.

"Oh! I see. Well there's one at the end of the corridor. Are you going to…?" he trailed off knowing he didn't need to finish his question.

"I'm tolerant of a lot of things but animal abuse isn't one of them, even if it is for sport." she stated dryly, opening one of the cages and prying out the rabbits inside.

"Yukiko-sama!"

"It's not like the Great Observer Yuki-chan to take action for a change," Izuna teased, opening a cage himself. "So who am I to tell you no? Besides this might be fun. Atsuko, help us out," he ordered, making no attempt to hide his amusement.

"I...But..." Atsuko stuttered, looking around the room as though looking for reassurance.

"Please, Atsuko?" he mockingly pleaded. She sighed, shook her head and then opened a cage.

It took the trio just under ten minutes to clear out the cages, standing in the room was proving a difficult task with all the rabbits hopping along the floor.

"Now it's a simple matter of herding them out! Yuki-chan, you got a plan for that?" Izuna asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity and wondering how much of this plan she'd actually thought out.

"I do," she held out her hand and Kiyoshi appeared in her grasp. She picked up Kibou before turning Kiyoshi into a shimmering white dog. "Alright, Kiyoshi. We're going to herd these rabbits outside, just like at home," she ordered, patting the dog's head.

"My oh my! That's quite the interesting sword. He's very cute. I used to ask Madara to let me have a dog but he always refused. If only I had your sword..." Izuna seemed genuinely curious, patting Kiyoshi on the head as well, which the dog didn't approve of, apparently knowing its master's feelings towards the Uchiha as Kiyoshi leapt back and growled.

"Easy, c'mon let's focus on this herding job," Yukiko hissed, sliding the door open and letting the rabbits loose.

* * *

><p>Madara wished the day would be over already. He'd dealt with the council, dealt with Raimei and now all he wanted to do was let off some steam by training. Hopefully he'd end up tired enough that he'd sleep straight afterwards and forget the entire affair. If not then there was always sake.<p>

He wandered down the corridor, confused for a moment. One rabbit leapt past him, then another and he could hear a dog barking. He turned around sharply and was confronted by 30 rabbits bouncing down the corridor being led by an icy dog, behind them was the mastermind's of the break-out.

Yukiko froze in fear for a moment, Madara's body language telling her all she needed to know. He wasn't in the mood to be messed around and he almost certainly wasn't ready for this.

"I believe we've hit a snag," Izuna whispered to her as his older brother strode down the corridor towards them. "Oh boy, apparently things didn't go well with the Council,"

"The Council?" Yukiko asked quietly, wanting some background information on what had gone on before she bore the full force of Madara's rage.

"Yes, he had to go see the Council. Madara doesn't like being ordered around by a bunch of old people and our old sensei. Just imagine how pissed he is right now. Actually no need, we're going to find out now,"

Madara's heavy breathing to suppress his anger could be heard two metres away as the guilty trio stood in silence.

"What the hell is going on?" Even Kiyoshi was standing still, leaving the rabbits free to wander aimlessly.

"I-It's my fault, Madara-sama. I..." fear, that fear she hadn't felt in a while was back and seemed stronger than she remembered it being before.

"You _what_?" he demanded, taking another step forward.

"Izuna-san informed me about your rabbits, I thought it was a cruel fate for them and so...I convinced them to...Let me release them," as Izuna watched Yukiko stumble through her explanation he couldn't help but laugh.

While Madara was standing there, clearly more angry than he had been in weeks the sight behind him was a striking contrast, the rabbits peacefully leaping around and playing merrily.

"Shut up, Izuna!" Madara snapped, his jaw clenched. So much for relaxing. "And Ginhana, you. Go upstairs to my room now," she refused to move, whether through fear or defiance she wasn't sure. "I said my room...NOW!" his yelling seemed to get his point across and her and Kiyoshi turned tail and ran. He then turned to Atsuko. "Leave." she, too, was obedient and curtly left which left Izuna standing alone, trying his hardest not to laugh.

"Yes, Madara?"

"Izuna, clear this mess up immediately. I have no doubt that this was, somehow, your doing,"

"Ah! So suspicious, Nii-san!" Izuna exclaimed playfully.

"Just shut up and do what you're told. I don't want to see you around here for while," the leader ordered.

"Hm? Fine, I don't mind. I suppose I am to blame if you think about it in a rather...roundabout way. Are you going to go force respect in Yuki-chan again?"

Surprisingly Madara didn't answer him, turning around and leaving for the training grounds.

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat alone for a couple of hours, thinking about what she'd done almost like a child being punished. She got up and gazed out of the windows, spying Madara sitting on a rock with his head in his hands. She didn't know why but she found the site quite distressing and grabbing Kiyoshi and ran out of the room, demanding Hayate lead her to the grounds.<p>

She stood out of sight when she found him though, he was apparently deep in thought however there seemed more to it than that. He wasn't angry more...upset about something. She'd seen Madara go through a few emotions but never had she seen him upset, at least consciously.

"I thought I told you to go to my room," he said, lifting his head up and turning around. Had he been out here all that time she'd spent thinking?

"I'm sorry, Madara-sama. I saw you down here and thought you may need some company," she whispered, not moving an inch though.

"Tch, do I seem like the kind of person who needs company?" he asked, looking away from her again.

"Life leading a clan is a hard one, besides it's only natural to want company. It just means you're human," she pointed out, looking down at her sword tied around her waist.

"Human? Does that mean I'm bound by an endless stream of useless emotions like everyone else? After things I've done and seen, I doubt an ounce of humanity is left within me. So I repeat my question. Do I seem like the kind of person who needs company?" he seemed to be asking himself that question more than her. She frowned at the thought though.

"Yes, Madara-sama. You do so if you can forgive me I'll sit with you for a while," she sat down on the rock beside him, not saying another word. Sometimes silence speaks more than words ever can, as her father used to tell her. Where had that man's influence on her gone? As soon as she'd been told he died she could barely mourn, her mother throwing her into task after task and lesson after lesson trying to mould her into someone who wouldn't make the same mistakes as Isamu did. But she distinctly remembered her father telling her something about that as well.

_"So what's wrong with me making mistakes? If I learn from them then surely that's better than making mistakes and being blind to them?"_

Madara, on the other hand, was thinking about himself. About the decisions he'd made, ones he was going to make and ones he'd avoided. He wasn't the type of person to second-guess himself nor did he have regrets however sometimes he'd think about them all the same and the sort of impossible situations he was thrown into at times.

Yukiko sighed. What was she supposed to say in a situation like this? The silence was tense though and she was desperate to break it. At the same time she allowed herself a sideways glance at Madara.

Art. All she could think of was how he looked like some sort of masterpiece. If only his personality would reflect that.

"Ginhana, stop staring at me," his eyes met hers; she quickly broke contact, still fearing his Sharingan.

"Sorry, Madara-sama. Oh, I was wondering if I could ask you a favour,"

"More things you want from me. Go on,"

"One of the cages from the rabbit room, can it be moved into your room for Kibou please?" she asked quietly.

"No, that filthy thing isn't staying in my room," he snapped.

"You bred the filthy thing and, besides, he's a present!" she exclaimed. Why she even bothered asking she had no idea though.

"Fine. Fight me and win and the rabbit stays in my room. Lose and you'll receive a punishment of my choosing,"

More punishments? She wasn't sure how much more of his punishments she could take. But for Kibou, she was willing to give it a shot.

"Alright then, Madara-sama, thankfully I brought Kiyoshi down with me," Yukiko leapt up and ran a few metres from him. "Take into account I'm still injured though,"

"I think that hardly matters," Madara scoffed, waiting for her to unsheathe her blade. "Prepare yourself, Ginhana," he leapt forward faster than she'd expected, leaving her only to duck as he quickly kicked her feet from under her.

"Ice Style: Demon Ice Gale!" she unleashed an icy wind towards him all the while disintegrating Kiyoshi. She had to avoid his taijutsu at all costs, realising in her current state she'd cause herself more harm than anything else.

"Mixing Kiyoshi's ice with your own wind is clever but…" Madara was behind her instantly. "Not clever enough," she turned around a look of shock on her face quickly replaced with a smirk.

_Poof! _Yukiko's clone was gone, leaving her to manipulate Kiyoshi more while she snuck around him.

"You think my Sharingan can't see through your tricks?" Apparently Madara had used a clone as well, her right wrist grabbed from behind and bent round her back while his other arm wrapped around her neck. "But perhaps if you beg for mercy, I'll consider the rabbit staying,"

"I'm not done yet," she gasped, a clever bluff but it was just empty words. She was done, but painfully ashamed to admit it. Her side was starting to hurt though.

_Too much for one day I guess…_

She coughed several times, feeling Madara's grip on her vanish and then she was quickly turned around, his two fingers pressed against her pulse.

"If you'd stayed in my room to…"

"No, Madara-sama. You know why I came here," Yukiko felt herself losing balance, instinctively clutching at him for support. "Life as a clan leader is hard, even if it's something you aspire to. I said that before. But at the same time…it's something you can't get rid of either…What I wanted to come here and say is that you're not alone and that I understand,"

"Ginhana, your clan were a bunch of third-rate shinobi. One day, I'll stand at the top of the world so how can you _possibly _understand anything?" he growled, she managed to look up at him and smile.

"That's the sort of person you are. You're so blinded by your own goals you can't see anyone else's. I wanted to lead my clan to peace, you'll lead yours to glory. Both of them are difficult tasks but…I meant what I said at the dinner before the mission. You really are a good clan leader and a decent human being," she managed to straighten up before leaving him to ponder her words alone.

* * *

><p><strong>Free the rabbits! Mean Madara, hurting rabbits though...Oh well. Yukiko's injured...still. Madara's upset? Yes. I realised when I wrote this that Madara may actually be an organ loving human like one of us so naturally he has the potential to get overwhelmed at times. But about what? What was said in that council meeting, eh? I know. You don't. XD Mwhaha.<strong>

**My question! Are Yukiko and Madara actually compatible? I was asking myself this when I wrote the last chapter and realised that they're probably a lot better for each other than they think. XD**

**Next Chapter Title: I Wouldn't Ask This Of You!**

**_Good job, sniper! I shoot, you run! _Sorry, that song is so catchy though. =^.^=  
><strong>


	16. I Wouldn't Ask These Things Of You!

Oh gosh! Lots and lots happens in this one, hope you can keep up. Even though it's short this one is a vital one. We see different sides of Atsuko and Yukiko.

Chapter Title: Another Coheed & Cambria song. It's called A Favor House Atlantic. It's a catchy little number though! The chorus always gets into my head.

Disclaimer: I sit here owning nothing of Naruto except the plot of this fanfic and my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixteen<strong>

**I Wouldn't Ask These Things Of You**

Yukiko was lying in bed, her side in pain once more and thinking to herself. Now the situation had slowed down, she was left with time to think about all she'd been through. There was a dangerous window opening in her mind now as she was almost given the opportunity to mourn at last.

She refused though. Staying cold was the only way to survive this situation however she kept seeming to go against that principle. Kibou leapt onto her chest and she sighed.

"It doesn't look like you'll be staying here,"

_Megami…_

"_Aunty Yuki! Aunty Yuki!" the door to her office flew open and Megami rushed in. _

"_What is it? I've got paperwork to do," Yukiko laughed as she watched her cousin jumping up and down on the spot. _

"_I've got one! I've got one!"_

"_You've got what? And please stop repeating yourself, Megami," she folded up some of her paperwork in order to pay more attention. _

"_A rabbit! I've got a rabbit! I'm going to call him Snowy-chan! He's pure white like…like you!" Megami declared, running around the desk and hugging Yukiko._

"_Oh that's nice. Did uncle get it for you?" she asked, she knew already. She'd bred the rabbit herself in order to ensure a good tempered rabbit that could handle Megami's excitable nature. _

"_Yes! Yes! Can Snowy-chan play with your rabbits? I want him to be friends with yours! Please!" _

"_Of course, Megami. I have lots of work to do though so I'll come round for dinner later," _

Yukiko stroked Kibou, tears starting to form again.

"She was just a child…"

* * *

><p>Atsuko sat in her room, having been ordered by Izuna to keep contact with Yukiko to a minimum for a while.<p>

She was worried though, the battle had gone well but Yukiko had failed to kill Kai.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in," Yoshi walked in, eying his daughter carefully.

"Father, you don't usually come down here," Atsuko stood up, obviously concerned.

"I know. I've been busy. Atsuko, we need to talk,"

"I understand. What's wrong?" she asked, sitting back down as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"You need to leave for a while. I'm sensing there's something going on with those brothers and I want you to have nothing to do with them," Yoshi explained.

"Madara-sama is our leader and Izuna-sama is second-in-command. There is no way I can have nothing to do with them," she pointed out, keeping her eyes on the floor.

"I'm not having you go down this road, Atsuko," _this_ road…The same road as her sister? "You're going to do what I say from now on,"

"I understand, father," she nodded, hoping he'd leave if she just went along with whatever he was saying. There was no way she'd give up on Izuna and Madara though.

"Alright, now I have council duties to attend to. I'll speak with you later," Yoshi said, getting up and reaching his hand out to pat Atsuko on the back before stopping himself and leaving.

* * *

><p><em>Atsuko and Minako ran out to the training fields, finding Izuna sitting and watching Madara.<em>

_"Hey, Izu-kun, how comes you're not training with Madara-kun like usual?" Minako asked, confused for a moment._

"_Hm? Oh because I've hurt my wrist," Izuna admitted, glancing at the girls. Minako rolled her eyes and grabbed his hand. _

"_Check this out then!" she boasted, a green light emitting from her hand. _

"_You finally got the hang of Medical Jutsu then?" _

"_Yea, when you and Madara-kun sulk off to the woods me and Atsuko actually do some work, ya know!" Minako exclaimed, letting go of his hand. _

"_Thanks, Mina-chan. Oh hey, that banquet is coming up soon, you coming with me still?" _

_Atsuko's heart sank. Minako…She loved her sister so dearly and yet…_

* * *

><p>The maid shook her head, standing up and deciding to go check on Yukiko, despite Izuna's orders.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Atsuko ran down the corridors. She never trusted Azuri; her father had always warned them not to. So why was it that ever since that night Minako had kept herself locked away? How was that helping in any way?<br>_

_She reached her older sister's door, knocking several times._

"_Mina, it's me. I'm coming in," slowly, she peeked around the door not seeing her sister anywhere. She took several steps in. _

_Silence. Everything was still, even time seemed still. She knew something was wrong. Minako hated silence. _

"_Mina…Are you okay?" she raised a shaking hand to open the bathroom door. "Mina?" instantly, Atsuko jumped back as though the sight of her sister was going to launch at her._

_The shaking spread from her hand all over her body, cold…Had it always been so cold in the room? _

_Her hand covered her trembling lips. _

"_Oh…Mina! Mina!" she screamed, alerting several Uchiha outside. _

* * *

><p>"Not now…" Atsuko shook her head. Why couldn't she see her father without those memories coming back? She tried with all her might to keep them concealed but to no avail. The nightmare still remained.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Atsuko could remember the rain. She hated rain but found herself standing at the doors of the Uchiha Stronghold just waiting. <em>

_Hayate wandered out, looking as nervous as usual._

_"Atsuko-san…Are you sure you don't want me to tell him?" he asked quietly. _

"_No, Hayate-kun," the gates slowly began to open. Atsuko bit on her lip to hold in everything. _

_Madara and Izuna walked down, leading the army home with smug smirks on their faces. _

_This just wasn't fair…That was all she could think of._

"_Hey, Atsuko! What's with the sad face? We won just like Madara promised," Izuna laughed, running up to her._

"_Izuna-sama…We need to talk, you too, Madara-sama," she could barely talk. She guessed Madara sensed it was important, nodding to Izuna and the pair went to Atsuko's room. _

"_So what's wrong? And why am I suddenly Izuna-sama?" Izuna asked, sitting on the bed. _

"_It's…It's about Mina," _

"_Oh yea, I was wondering where she is. Our army just got back so it's not like her to skip off work," the younger Uchiha joked. _

"_Stop interrupting, Izuna!" Madara warned. _

"_Th-thank you, Madara-sama. She's not skipping work at all. She…We made arrangements to have the Azuri stay as requested…From what I read I…" her voice was shaking as she tried to hold it all in. "I think…Kouta raped Mina," _

"_He what? Where is that scumbag? Where's Mina?" Izuna leapt up immediately, Atsuko grabbed his wrist and shook her head. "Get off me!"_

"_She's dead!" she yelled. Izuna's arm went limp in her hand. _

"_What?"_

"_Minako…She…She felt so…disgraced and filthy that…She killed herself and I found her a couple of hours ago," Atsuko let the tears flow now, having said what she needed to say. _

"_Mina wouldn't do something like that…"_

"_Izuna!" Madara barked before his brother got carried away. The situation had to stay calm, that was his understanding. _

"_I'm so sorry…"_

_Yes, she was sorry it had been Minako and not her while deep down she knew it should have been her._

* * *

><p>Atsuko knocked on the door of Madara's room, the sound dragging her out of her sea of memories. Strangely there was no reply, confused she opened the door.<p>

Kiyoshi wasn't in the room but there was a note. Atsuko immediately felt a wave of panic.

She read it through a few times before rushed down to the training grounds.

* * *

><p>"Ah! It's been a while since we've trained together, Madara!" Izuna laughed, wiping the sweat from his brow. It was refreshing since Madara was the only one who could match Izuna and vice versa.<p>

"Hm, why did you come down here anyway?" Madara asked, his eyes moving to focus behind his brother to the maid running down to see them. "Atsuko, what is it now?"

"P-Please, forgive me for interrupting Madara-sama but…" she held out the note to the leader before Izuna was by her side, supporting her.

"What is it?" he asked, worried by the puzzled look on his elder brother's face.

"It's from Ginhana,"

* * *

><p>"It's been a week, Izuna-sama; do you think we'll be able to track her down?" Atsuko asked as she walked up to the council room with Izuna.<p>

"I don't know. This wasn't how it was supposed to go, I was sure she wouldn't run away. They even slept together, dammit; I didn't take this into account as deeply as I should have," Izuna growled, he was quickly becoming more like Madara under the stress of the situation.

Madara was waiting outside the council room for Izuna before the trio headed in. Yoshi sat in the centre once again with an icy rage in his eyes.

"You failed. You let her get away; you assured me she'd be dead within the week, Madara. If I didn't know any better I'd say you let her get away," Yoshi wasted no time with his scolding.

"You know full well I didn't let her get away. Don't you think I wanted this more than you?" Madara snapped, Yoshi stood up suddenly. This looked to be a vicious meeting after all.

"How dare you! You came in here last time preaching about honour and how much you wanted to defeat the Senju in a fair fight! We pressured you to make a decision and now she's gone! What're our sensor squads doing anyway? No doubt they're in on it too after you sent her along to battle with you! Did you, perhaps, tell her anymore sensitive information while you were screwing her!" Yoshi roared.

Big mistake. The whole room knew it as soon as it came out. There was a pregnant pause while they all waited for Madara's response.

"Yoshi…I suggest you take back what you said just now unless you want them to be your final words," his chakra flow spoke volumes more though, preparing for any jutsu Madara was going to throw at his sensei.

"Why would I take those words back?"

"Because you're an Uchiha and _I _am your leader! You may be on the council but all of this clan's wellbeing comes down to me so I'm warning you now, take back what you said,"

"Madara, please, let's just go. It's clear we're only here to be told how badly we're running the clan…" Izuna started before he was cut off.

"Your mother sacrificed herself for so much more than what you two have become,"

Dead. Yoshi was going to be dead in moments, they were so sure of it.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" Madara strode up to the table, grabbing Yoshi by the collar. "That you think you can talk about my mother and what she sacrificed herself for when you sent your own wife to die for no good reason at all. You have to remember, Yoshi, you _made _me. Just because you can't control me anymore doesn't make me less than you. Now I'm taking my brother and your daughter away from here and going to look for Ginhana. If you have any complaints kindly keep them to yourself, you despicable dog,"

As the three left the silence was suffocating.

"We can't have him controlling our clan any longer," was all Yoshi could manage, falling back into his seat. He was one of the few people who was brave enough to stand up to Madara but when it came down to it he was just as terrified of Madara's power than anyone else.

* * *

><p>Zentaro Yuu, the Water Daimyo, wandered the gardens of his palace with Kai Azuri by his side.<p>

"Kai, when are you going to retrieve our little stray sheep? She's been free for too long and I need her back here immediately," Zentaro said calmly but his message was clear.

_Bring Yukiko Ginhana back here or I'll have you executed_.

"I'll retrieve her as soon as I can track her down again, from what I've heard she's escaped from the Uchiha's grasp. Someone like me isn't one to rush out blindly. Leave a fox for a while and it'll come out sooner or later," Kai explained with a shrug.

"Yes well, make sure it's sooner. She's up to something with the Senju and their army is making a mockery of me," Zentaro snapped before heading back to his palace, leaving Kai to stand alone for a while.

It wasn't an ideal situation but it was one he was willing to tolerate for now.

He'd bring Yukiko to the Daimyo and get his reward, that was all he was focussed on. If only Kouta had only focussed on missions as well, then they probably wouldn't be in this mess at all.

Kai sensed a chakra signal all of a sudden, it was fast though. Perhaps it was two signals. Either way he headed back to check it out.

* * *

><p>"How much long am I going to have to deal with these worthless shinobi?" Zentaro grumbled to himself as he laid down in bed.<p>

He was growing old, weary from the wars he had started, the wars he'd seen in his own land.

Shinobi often made it seem as though they were the only ones with troubles but life as a Daimyo was just as hard.

His hand covered his face as he tried to relax, he heard the window blowing outside the window it was practically a gale and had sharply picked up.

Zentaro loved his land though; he loved his power and his people even if they didn't appreciate him. They called him a dictator whereas he'd rather think of himself as their protector.

And then he thought back to the Ginhana when they were led by Isamu.

Isamu Ginhana…

* * *

><p><em>Isamu stormed into his office, never had he had much respect for the Daimyo. <em>

"_Zen, what the hell are you doing?" he asked angrily._

"_Hm? Isamu, I hardly think that you can ask me that. I've simply given you a mission which is my job," the lord pointed out calmly. _

"_This mission is to attack a clan in the Fire Country. We don't do that sort of thing, it infringes on our alliance with the Senju," Isamu replied, sitting opposite him. _

"_I realise that but this is an urgent matter, I wish for it to be done and the only person I trust with something like this is you. We may have grown up together, albeit with different social upbringings, but you're my friend and I've never thought I was superior to you. So, Isamu, understand this needs to be done," _

"_No, I refuse. You've let this power go to your head, Zen. I can't risk it, I have a daughter to think about now," _

"_Ah! It was a girl, I was waiting to hear more about your child," Zentaro laughed, hoping to defuse his friend's anger. _

"_Yes, I have a little girl. Yukiko, her name is. And all I want is to make peace, that's why I'm so close to the Senju now. We'll strive together and maybe one day, Zen, you'll have a child as well…But for now you don't understand," _

* * *

><p>Zentaro sighed, war stole too many lives. He, too, was striving for peace however he was using a different angle.<p>

But wasn't everyone? Madara felt that force had to be used; Hashirama thought people could be persuaded into peace with words and trust alone and Isamu was one of those swayed by Hashirama later on in his life, even if he was older than the Senju.

Zentaro felt that people couldn't be trusted to maintain peace though, they had to be told to and he would lead them down the right path.

Again the wind picked up, he sighed and sat up as he got up to close the window.

It was a blur. All he saw was long black hair and blood red eyes before a kunai was shoved into his chest, he couldn't even scream, blood filling his mouth. He spluttered as he tried to form words.

How had a ninja managed to sneak past all his guards?

The only thing he could manage to say as he fell to the floor was…

"Isamu…"

* * *

><p><strong>WHAT? I know, I'm not a fan of cliffhanger endings but this one had to be done. XD So what's going on with Atsuko? It's interesting<strong>

**Next Chapter Title: A Flag In Her Hand, A Flag White As Snow...  
><strong>

**So my question: Who killed the Daimyo?  
><strong>


	17. A Flag In Her Hand, A Flag White As Snow

Why hello there! Gosh I work hard for you. Yes, specifically you...XD So excuse this A/N for being a bit short but quite frankly, I'm exhausted and I want to cuddle up in bed and watch the news. XD

Chapter Title: Hero of War by Rise Against. It reminds me of Yoshi and Madara. XD

Disclaimer: Too tired. Own nothing. Except OCs.

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><p><strong>Chapter Seventeen<strong>

**A Flag In Her Hand, A Flag White As Snow**

Madara sighed, sitting at his desk. He'd decided not to go searching for Yukiko, sending out Genshi's squad instead.

Although it had been two weeks since she'd escaped and there was still no word at all.

He sighed, opening up the note she'd written him. All it said was "Forgive me, Madara-sama,"

Izuna and Atsuko walked in with a scared looking Hayate behind them.

"Madara, we've got news from the Land of Water," Izuna announced glancing at Hayate.

"What is it?" the elder asked, gesturing Hayate to leave. He didn't mind Atsuko knowing anything since she would end up knowing everything from Izuna anyway.

"The Water Daimyo was killed a little under a week ago," Izuna continued as soon as the guard was gone.

"So? That was the mission the Senju were given," Madara snapped, he was hoping for something a little more along the lines of where Yukiko was.

"Hm? Yes it was. But he wasn't killed by a Senju ninja. Eye witness accounts state that they saw a ninja with long black hair and red eyes escaping, killing several guards in the process. The ninja spoke to Kai Azuri before disappearing. No one's sure what was said as Kai went missing immediately afterwards," Izuna explained, sitting down.

"I suppose that means we've got the blame for this then," the leader growled. Black hair and red eyes, it certainly didn't look good for the Uchiha at all.

"Yes, the Senju wish to speak with you. They're here," Atsuko added.

"Aren't they at war?" Madara stood up and headed to the door.

"Not if they're here, there's been a temporary truce been put in place before they figure out what went on with the Daimyo," Izuna replied with a laugh.

"Makes sense, come on then you two. We'll go see what the damn Senju have to say,"

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><p>Hashirama wasn't the type to get worried often. But sitting in the meeting room waiting for Madara was worrying. He'd gotten a message from Yukiko saying she was away from the Stronghold on a mission and the fact that Madara hadn't gone with her was a concern.<p>

Tobirama, on the other hand, simply seemed annoyed. The Water Daimyo was gone, his tyranny ended, but that wasn't enough for him. There were too many loose-ends.

Madara, Izuna and the maid they often saw with Izuna walked into. The maid stayed by the door like usual, simply watching the Senju with great interest.

The brothers seemed calm though, as calm as Madara ever was though.

"Madara-kun, I was hoping I'd get the chance to speak with Yuki-chan but seeing as she's away on a mission right now that won't be the case,"

"A mission? What mission?" Izuna asked, tilting his head with a curious expression on his face.

"She sent me a letter simply saying she was away on a mission for the time being so she wouldn't be here while we were," Hashirama explained, his eyes narrowed for a moment in confusion.

Izuna looked to his brother, nudging his arm.

"Can I see the letter?" Madara asked, he'd bite he wanted to know if it was from Yukiko and what else it'd say.

"Of course, is there a problem, Madara-kun?" the elder Senju asked.

"Isn't it obvious? They wanna know if she's given away any of their precious mission information!" Tobirama snapped, folding his arms and watching as his brother pulled out the letter and handed it to Madara.

_Hashirama-san, _

_I'm glad to hear you're heading to the Uchiha Stronghold, I hope Madara-sama can keep his temper and listen to you._

_Unfortunately I won't be there as I'm away on a personal mission right now. There's no reason to worry though, I'm fine. I also hope that Tobirama-kun is alright with going there. I know it's difficult for him to be around the Uchiha. _

_I do want you to know this though. Perhaps the Uchiha are shown in the wrong light so often simply because they are compared to the Senju. I'm not saying their brand of peace is right however peace is peace, right? _

_I don't know. I'm confused. Peace is something that's been in the back of my mind lately. Maybe you could send me some of your reassuring words like usual. Just a request from me. _

_Your eternal ally,_

_Yukiko Ginhana_

She'd drawn the crest of her clan, a rose with a snowflake behind it, in the corner of the page.

"How did you get this letter?" Madara asked, that was all that was bothering him.

"Well, Kiyoshi brought it to me. He waited for my reply and then flew off again. But that's hardly what matters. What does matter is this, I only came here to ask you a question and I know you'll give me an honest answer. Were you involved in the assassination of the Water Daimyo?" Hashirama asked, leaning forward and taking the letter back. He knew Madara wasn't the type to lie. If he'd killed the Water Daimyo there was no doubt he'd come out and openly admit it, perhaps send a letter around to everyone informing them of the latest Uchiha victory.

"No, I had no idea about it until Izuna told me before I came down here…"

There was several knocks on the door, Izuna nodded and got up, poking his head out of the door.

"What is it, Hayate?" he hissed, glaring at the guard. He'd become quite the joke among the Uchiha and was blamed for the reason Yukiko got away.

"I've got some news for Madara-sama. I-I'm not quite sure what to say or how to put it but…Yukiko-sama is back, she's just sitting in his room with the rabbit…" Hayate stuttered, barely looking into Izuna's eyes.

"What? How do you…She's just sitting there? I'll be…"

"She wants to see Madara-sama. I informed her the Senju are here however she insists on seeing Madara-sama," the guard hastily added, as if he'd only just remembered her orders.

"Ah, that's interesting. I'll go tell him and then send him up there," he nodded, shut the door and then looked to Atsuko, who had heard everything.

"You should let her see him, it must be urgent," Atsuko confirmed his thoughts.

"Madara, there's an urgent package in your room that needs seeing to immediately," Izuna announced with a sigh.

"A package? How could a package be urgent?" Madara asked, standing up.

"I'm not sure but it's something you've been searching for, it has been two weeks since you lost it," the younger Uchiha hinted. Madara's eyes widened for a moment in realisation before he quickly left.

"What was that about?" Tobirama snapped.

"Hm, oh it's just an Uchiha matter. You have your answer, Hashirama, so maybe you should leave,"

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><p>Madara stormed into his room, finding a slightly dishevelled Yukiko Ginhana sitting on the edge of his bed. He paused for a moment before talking, baffled for a moment by her appearance.<p>

She was still Yukiko but her once white hair was dyed ebony black. It was a surprise to say the least. But then it clicked.

"_They saw a ninja with long black hair and red eyes escaping…"_

"You killed the Water Daimyo," he stated blankly. She looked up, that icy look in her eyes seemed more intense than usual.

"I'm not proud of it,"

"Yes you are! Tell me you didn't feel that high after killing someone who did wrong to you! Even if you do I'd call you a liar, you killed guards on your way out of there as well!" Madara yelled.

"I…I did it because I couldn't leave it undone. However it was always my intention to come back here," Yukiko reinforced, shaking her head.

"Of course it was! You decided to frame us by dying your hair black!" he shouted, again she shook her head.

"That's not why I did it. I did it to blend in more; white hair is very obvious,"

"Well you look like a filthy mess! Go have a bath while I deal with the Senju!" he stormed out of the room.

Yukiko sighed, looking over at the desk. Next to it, on the floor was a cage with Kibou in it. Tears forming in her eyes as she knelt down to talk to the rabbit.

"Hey you, why on earth did he let you stay here? Wouldn't it be funny if he secretly liked rabbits?" she opened the cage and slowly picked him up, cradling him in her arms.

"He moved him in here because Madara-sama always knew you'd come, what was it he said, 'crawling back like a coward'," Atsuko said suddenly, appearing at the door with several changes of clothes.

"Oh, Atsuko, how've you been?" Yukiko asked with a sigh.

"I've been fine. What were you doing out there, Yukiko-sama?" the maid enquired, laying the clothes down on the bed.

"A few things, thinking and mourning really. I visited my clan's compound," the kunoichi admitted.

"That must have been hard. I'm sorry,"

"It was fine. The Uchiha do make a mess of things though. I brought a bag back with me though of some of my belongings. It helped me achieve some closure I was seeking desperately. Madara-sama doesn't seem to approve of my hair though," she added a joke at the end as she walked to the bag she'd brought with her.

Yukiko hadn't brought much, a few of her father's books and some photos anymore would have been too painful to take with her.

"I'm sure he'll get used to your…interesting change of style," Atsuko laughed.

"I doubt it, I am to bathe immediately and wash it all out. I've never dyed my hair before but I suspect it's going to be a pain. No chance I'll see the Senju then," Yukiko sighed, she had still wanted to see the brothers even if it was under Madara's watchful eye.

"Yes I doubt he'd let you. I should leave you to bathe then. Welcome home, Yukiko-sama," as she watched the maid leave Yukiko couldn't help but be stunned by her words.

_Welcome…home? _

Kibou squirmed in her arms, letting her know he wanted to be put down.

She wasn't fussed with washing the dye out, nor was she fussed that Madara seemed to be in a foul mood, she was fussed that there was a conflicting message here.

He was confident she would come back. Yet she'd found several squads out looking for her. He couldn't have been that confident then.

Yukiko sighed and shook her head.

"Kibou, does it matter?" she asked, walking to the bathroom.

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><p>There was a silence once the Senju had left.<p>

"So, Yuki-chan is back. You must be happy," Izuna teased, meaning it to both Atsuko and Madara.

"Yes, now we can get that information and deal with the Senju and the Council," Madara answered, before leaving the room.

"My, oh my. He's really serious! Atsuko, I think Yuki-chan leaving was better than I originally thought it'd be," Izuna exclaimed, jumping out of his seat.

"Maybe…But Yukiko-sama seems different somehow,"

"Killing a Daimyo does that to people. Not that I have much experience but I imagine it does. Ah well, come on, we have work to do,"

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><p>Yukiko got out of the bath, wrapping a towel tightly round herself before sitting on a tiny footstool to lean over the bath. There was no way she was sitting in a bath while all that horrible black stuff was being washed out.<p>

She untied her hair from the bun she'd put it in to keep it from getting wet and was now onto the arduous task of washing out the dye.

The bathroom door opened, taking Yukiko by surprise as she conjured Kiyoshi in her hand while her free hand clutched the towel tightly.

Madara seemed unfazed though.

"M-Madara-sama, I'm in the middle of something," she stuttered, her grip on Kiyoshi tightening.

"I was just making sure you were…"

"Still here?" she asked, smiling.

"No," he snapped, glaring at her. He moved forward quickly, grabbing her wrist and bending it until she had no choice but to drop Kiyoshi. "I was making sure you were still listening to me," he growled.

"Madara-sama, I already said I always intended to…" his shirt was open, just an inch more than usual but she could help but notice an angry burn on his chest. "You're injured, what happened?" she asked, a frown appearing on her lips now as she looked into his eyes.

"I was training with Izuna," he replied bluntly, eyes narrowed. Pity, it was painted all over her face and he hated it.

"He can actually land a hit like that on you?" Yukiko seemed confused.

"Of course he can, he's my brother. He's just as skilled as I am," this seemed to surprise her, blinking up at him a few times before speaking.

"Oh, I never realised," nothing seemed to create quite the reaction he wanted in her. He wanted her to be impressed, but she just seemed blank. She'd seemed blank for a while now, as though something was troubling her. Usually it was obvious, it was either him or Izuna or her clan however now it seemed to be none of those things.

Madara let go of her wrist, she seemed hesitant for a moment before touching his shirt, gently opening it further.

The burn was bad and quite large, spreading from his collarbone down to his ribs.

"Does it hurt?" she whispered, shaking her head for some reason.

"Hn, I've gotten plenty from Izuna, it hardly matters," she gently placed a finger in the centre of the burn. He hissed, suddenly grabbing her wrist again. "Don't."

"I'm sorry, Madara-sama," Yukiko muttered. She seemed so...sad and distant though.

He wasn't quite sure what else he could say to her, except he realised she'd just attempted to touch him.

"Tch, finish whatever you're doing, I'll be resting," Madara sighed before leaving.

Yukiko stood frozen for a moment before remembering exactly what it was she had been doing. She sat back down and began thoroughly washing her hair out over the bath finding herself deep in thought as she did so.

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><p><em>Yukiko wandered down the path to her old home. The quiet in the settlement bringing back that one resounding message over and over again 'You're alone now.'.<em>

_What was she supposed to do? The clan...Her life, gone in a single night, a single moment of horror. She wished she could stop looking behind her though, like she could feel the fiery Uchiha just around the bend. She was hunted despite this being her home. Her only home. A home cloaked in a peaceful white snow, a disgusting, lying white snow. _

_As she reached her home though she found it reasonably untouched, her rabbits were dead but she'd expected that. Slowly she walked up the steps to her room, sliding the door open and quietly looking at it. It didn't seem the same, feel the same. It wasn't her room anymore. Her place was in Madara's bed now, the man who'd taken her clan...and then her innocence. She should have been more upset by it yet she felt numb, collapsing on her futon like she would have after a long day's training and stared up at the ceiling._

_This all seemed so wrong, like it belonged to someone else. Yukiko realised though nothing in her home had changed, she had. She could no longer be what she was raised to be, a lifetime wasted. Instead she was slave to the Uchiha. _

_"Then why..." she rolled onto her side, tears falling. "Why don't I feel safe here anymore? Why can't I feel safe?..."_

_She remembered the night she'd been attacked by Kouta, how she'd felt at ease feeling Madara's dense chakra beside her and then how comforting it was at the Fire Daimyo's to fall asleep in his arms. _

_Yukiko knew it instantly. The Uchiha wanted something from her, she'd never once thought it could be the same for her. She wanted something from the Uchiha as well. She wanted to feel secure but more of all she wanted..._

_"Home..."_

_She'd done it now, she'd fulfilled her mission and she could go home. She gently ran her hand over the pillow, shutting her eyes she could almost fool herself that it was Madara's chest and found her heart pounding when she had this thought. Maybe it wasn't home she wanted. _

_"Madara-sama..." _

_She wanted to go back to him, not that Stronghold. She wanted his warmth once more, he had a foul temper and couldn't deal with anything properly but he made her feel more secure than she'd ever felt in her life. _

_Yukiko kept her eyes shut, thinking she was back with the Uchiha. _

_"I'm such a traitor..." she whispered, slowly falling asleep.  
><em>

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><p>Half an hour later she was done, her hair back to its natural whiteness once again.<p>

Yukiko slowly edged out of the bathroom, now wearing a yukata. She wasn't as nervous as she had been before; Madara seemed to be in a generally good mood despite the visit from the Senju whom she'd missed yet again.

He was sat up in bed, leaning against the wall with his head tilted up and his eyes shut.

He looked…serene for once, she almost thought he was asleep but she knew him better than that.

"Madara-sama, can I see your burn?" she asked, his eyes opened slowly.

"Hn, come over here and see it yourself," Madara replied with a yawn. Yukiko sighed, sitting next to him as she slowly pulled his shirt open again.

"Do you mind it I stop it from hurting?" there wasn't a reply; he was giving her a very sceptical look. "I can," she held her hand over the burn and shut her eyes.

Icy water formed around her hand as she pressed it to his burn, he hissed again grabbing her wrist before he felt it.

The entire area of his wound was numbed suddenly.

"How did you do that?" he asked, confused.

"It's simple; ice reduces pressure and pain on wounds. It's quite common knowledge in my country," Yukiko explained, a gentle smile appearing on her lips now.

"Hn, I'll remember that next time,"

"Can we sleep now, Madara-sama?" she suddenly requested with a shudder, she jumped up and moved to her side of the bed.

"When did you think you could make demands of me?" he snapped, but was silence when he realised she'd laid down, turned to face him and looked up at him, tears in her crimson eyes. "Whatever, you owe me more now,"

"Okay, Madara-sama," Madara rolled his eyes, lying down properly and putting his arms around her as her head gently rested on his chest. He heard her mutter something before she gently fell to sleep.

"Stupid, woman," he growled before shutting his own eyes. Finding it hard to hide his relief that she was back but at the same time worried about what her actions were going to have on the Uchiha.

Yukiko Ginhana had revealed a new side to herself now, a volatile and vengeful side that could sneak into a palace, kill a Daimyo and return to him with barely a hint of guilt. It was a dangerous side yet he'd be lying if he said he didn't like it.

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><p><strong>Hm, Yukiko will start to come out of her shell a bit now, thank god for that it's only been 17 chapters. Also if you didn't guess Yukiko killed that Daimyo. XD Well done for you. So now here's the question. If she killed the Daimyo for her mission and spoke to Kai (Whom it's also a mission for her to kill) what did she say to him? <strong>

**Also, can you feel the change between Madara and Yukiko? :)  
><strong>

**Next chapter title: Teach Me Passion, For I Fear It's Gone!**

**Something witty and fun goes here.  
><strong>


	18. Teach Me Passion, For I Fear It's Gone

The Detective Prince here like usual. :) This is a long chapter. It's one of my 'bit of everything' chapters. We see lots of things here and a PLOT. Remember when this had a plot...Ah...Good times...

Sooooo Chapter Title: Dead Boy's Poem by Nightwish. Why? Because I love Nightwish, stop asking stupid questions.

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Except my characters and the aforementioned plot.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eighteen<strong>

**Teach Me Passion, For I Fear It's Gone**

_Yukiko ran faster and faster, noting that the guards were starting to slow down but one man kept on her tail. _

_She turned quickly, running towards Lake Nanami where she once played as a child. It the only place near the Water Daimyo's she was certain she knew better than anyone else. _

_She headed for a cliff near overhanging the lake and sat down. The view was as breathtaking and nauseating as usual. The glistening lake like tiny diamonds was amazing however the white surrounding it ruined the view. _

_Kai was quick to catch up, readying to attack her. _

"_Water Style: Water Whip!" she lashed the whip out and twisted it around him. _

"_I have to admit, this I didn't expect, fox. Yukiko Ginhana the assassin, that doesn't quite have a good ring to it," Kai laughed. _

"_I'm actually just here to talk to you. That was all I came here for…I just, I got sidetracked," she admitted, watching him carefully. He wasn't going to attack her. She called back her whip. _

_Kai sighed, sitting down next to her and putting his hand on her shoulder making her flinch. _

"_I'm hiding your chakra signal and mine or do you want to be caught?" he asked with a smirk._

"_I want you to go back to your clan, Kai. Go back and prove to them that you're not Kouta. I…I think that maybe you're the problem. You're the one always comparing yourself to him," Yukiko explained, finding the strength to keep eye contact with those icy blue eyes. _

"_Why must you play the compassionate leader? It suits Hashirama much more than it does you. In fact, that little display back there…That was a very Madara thing you just did," Kai teased. _

"_I got rid of a tyrant, that's all. He suppressed my clan for a very long time," _

"_What clan? You have no clan! Seriously, fox, can't you just accept it? You're a leader with no one to lead! Your whole life has been pointless and now you're sitting here trying to get me to be the leader you can't!" the Azuri exclaimed with a laugh. Yukiko scowled. _

"_I'm trying to help them so they aren't killed by your petty battles with a brother who isn't even alive anymore!" she snapped in a moment of rare anger. _

"_And why do you even care? I'll tell you what! Make a deal with me…Prove to me you genuinely care by doing just one task, if you do then my clan will be safe…"_

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><p>Yukiko slowly woke up, stretching her arm that was across Madara's chest before rolling away from him to get up.<p>

Suddenly she felt herself pulled back to the Uchiha and pulled her on top of him. She flinched, trying to pull away from him but his hands quickly gripped her arms.

"M-Madara-sama!"

Apparently things hadn't changed at all; he pulled her lips to his. This kiss wasn't like any she'd had before from him though. It was fiercer, deeper completely overwhelming her and all she could do was submit to him before she was consumed.

Madara pulled away for a moment, studying her expression of both shock and, perhaps, desire. He pushed her to his side again, her head on his shoulder, watching him with confusion.

She was quickly smothered by a heated kiss. His tongue delved in, drawing out her sweet taste.

He grabbed her hand, resisting the temptation to rush but there was something he wanted to teach her and now was a good a time as any.

Madara pulled away from the kiss, staring straight into her crimson eyes. He knew it in an instant. While there was fear in those eyes and apprehension there was also desire.

"Yukiko…I'll show you something…" he purred. How could she possibly forget the effect he had on her! It was like being constricted by a snake, the more she struggled the tighter it became.

She'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts for a moment she didn't realise he'd moved her hand slowly down his body. Instantly a pink tint hit her cheeks, she clenched her eyes shut and tried pulling her hand out of his.

"I…" she began with a stutter.

"You still owe me, Yukiko. In fact, I'd say after that little stunt you pulled you owe me a _lot _more than this," his grip on her hand tightened for a moment to make sure she was listening.

Her eyes opened again, just slightly. Yukiko wanted to see what this man was up to, even if she knew exactly where it was going to lead to.

Madara moved her hand into his shorts, placing it on his arousal.

Her eyes widened slightly, the blush on her cheeks darkening even further. Surely this was all too close, too intimate.

At the same time though she found herself in amazement, his hand forcing hers to clasp his length, she swallowed hard. How could something so hard be so...smooth?

Yukiko could barely hold eye contact with him, ashamed by her own curiosity and confusion at this sort of situation.

That fizzled away though with an almost gentle kiss, Madara's tongue barely grazing against hers although that slight touch seemed to be luring her into wanting more from him.

Suddenly he moved her hand up and down his length, she yelped and moved back slightly however the arm he had underneath her reacted instantly, coiling around her waist and pulling her back to him, seizing her lips again in a fluid motion all the while continuing the pumping motion. He took his hand off hers when he was confident she'd gotten the message.

Yukiko was stunned, through a haze of lust that seemed to be carrying her from all rationality she realised something.

The was Madara being completely honest and open with her. There was nothing hidden, his rigid member in her grasp was his truest feelings and intentions for her. She, somehow, had this effect on him and why should she hide the fact that she felt the same for him? That the same fire that fuelled him was passed onto her, she wanted this beautiful man, her travels through the Land of Water alone...She's realised just how much she desired this from him.

For a moment like this he had tempted her to let the ice down and give in, returning his kiss with all the fire he was engulfing her with.

Madara found himself growling in response to her, using his free hand to undo her yukata. He pulled his lips from hers, sucking and nipping hungrily at her pulse instead.

"Ah...N...Madara-sama!" she mewled, oh that voice so sweet! He ripped her hand from him, quickly getting on top of her, his kisses leaving her neck and reaching her exposed chest.

Yukiko's cheeks heated even more as Madara's gaze fell to her breasts, taking one in his grasp.

He wanted to see, no rather _hear, _her reaction as he began greedily suckling on its rosy peak.

Her breath hitched, one of her hands instinctively gripped his ebony mane, and the other clasped the bed sheet beneath her.

Madara sharply nipped at the hardening bud abruptly, causing her to gasp and flinch at once. The feel of the inside of her thighs brushing up and his legs, tempting as it was, he wanted to draw out this torture a little longer, ignoring her hints.

He abandoned her chest, not before giving the other breast the same rough treatment.

Instead he left gentle kisses down her stomach, pausing for a moment while he tore off her underwear.

Again Yukiko flinched, trying to wriggle free away from him. His hands grabbed her hips though, anchoring her in place.

She understood she had to stay still but her heart was racing, pounding so hard she could almost feel it hitting the wall of her chest.

Madara's tongue gently grazed against that sensitive fold of hers. Like an electrical current, it sent a shockwave through her causing her to hiss, arching her back as she did so. As he continued caressing her nub, her breathing became faster and shallower by the second. He was really throwing her deep into those sinful flames now, feeling every muscle in her body begin to tighten. Oh that sweet release would come so...

Madara stopped without warning, sitting up with a knowing smile. Yukiko, tiny beads of sweat on covering her body, panting while watching him with a shocked and at the same time fiercely lustful look. Her yukata barely draped on her shoulders, her white hair spread like a curtain across the pillows, his ice queen was much more beautiful than he'd given her credit for.

"Yukiko..." he began but moments later she was on her knees before him, throwing off her remaining clothing and wrapping her arms around his neck pulling him into a deeply passionate kiss. He'd broken her at last; she refused to hide her craving from him now as he pulled her onto his lap.

Yukiko pulled away suddenly and nervously.

"Sorry, Madara-sama," she purred, but still stayed pressed against him, desperately trying to keep in control of herself however she could feel herself aching for him.

"For now, Yukiko, I think Madara will do," he growled, pushing her back down onto the bed. He'd end this torment now; he couldn't help himself now, spreading her legs as he removed his shorts.

He found himself smirking as he ran his hands over the arms still coiled around his neck; she was anticipating the same pain as before.

"Madara..." he silenced her with a kiss before pushing himself into her agonizingly slow.

Yukiko gripped fistfuls of his hair as she whimpered, her body stretching to accommodate him once more. He stopped halfway though, glancing at her trembling lips that she'd bitten on so hard a thin line of blood rolled down her jaw.

Madara gently traced his tongue along the crimson liquid before it forced its way into her mouth; she moaned slightly causing him to push the rest of himself into her sharply.

"M-Madara!" she whispered as though asking...No begging...He caved. Torture over as he quickly gained a fast, rough rhythm.

Yukiko was swept up into that frenzied state once more, back arched, her hips in time with his as a melody of gasps and moans escaped her.

No one person should have been able to do this to her, dominate her as he did but she couldn't deny him. The ecstasy he was giving her...Oh it felt like flying! To be so close and in tune with another, to let lust consume her completely and give herself away, it was all worth it for such pleasure, euphoria.

She pulled him closer still, running her hands down his back moist with sweat.

"Madara...Oh please God..." too much, her body was taking too much and she felt as though she was fit to burst. He groaned in her ear, feeling his own release was soon. Her nails dug deep into his flesh. One final gasp and then...

"Ah! Madara!" she screamed, her whole being erupting with pleasure that stormed though her very veins. Just moments later, Madara joined her in release, pulling her close with a loud growl.

He rid her of his weight, the pair left panting as they regained control of themselves and something akin to dignity. He was the one to break the silence first though, moving her back to him with her head on his chest.

"Ginhana, I've yet to punish you for leaving the Stronghold," Madara warned. Yukiko looked up at him, blinking a few times before smiling.

"It honestly was always my intention to come back here, Madara-sama," she responded.

"Why? You could've gone to the Senju, hell you could've gone to those damn Azuri!"

"Because, Madara-sama, even though Izuna-san lied to me. I did swear to you that I'd give you the information I hold. I've got my pride and I'm not a liar," she explained with a sigh. Yukiko was tired, drained and at the same time there was an unfamiliar warmth in her as well.

"Tch, you're a naive idiot with even more idiotic ideals. Forgive me for thinking you had some sense," he muttered.

"Maybe I do, but someone has to have idiotic ideals and as much as I like Kai, I'd never..."

"You what?" he snapped, glaring at her.

"Kai...He could be a good leader. It was just never a role he expected," Yukiko replied, glancing away from him for a moment.

"It doesn't matter; I'll strip him of that title when I wipe out that wretched clan. The world would be a better place without Azuri," Madara sighed.

"I hardly think that it would be for everyone,"

_Knock! Knock! _

"Enter," Madara yelled, throwing the bed covers over himself and Yukiko. "Just stay silent," he whispered to her.

Izuna entered, Atsuko and Raimei behind him.

"What do you want, Izuna?" Madara growled.

"Hm? I don't want a thing. The Council wishes to see Yuki-chan," he laughed with a shrug.

"Why?"

"Oh how am I supposed to know? Sensei is in a bad mood so I really don't think it'd be good to ignore him today. He's asked to see Yuki-chan alone,"

"Like hell is that going to happen!" the elder yelled, worrying Yukiko slightly.

"I've dealt with Councils before, Madara-sama," she interjected.

"Shut up, I told you to stay silent!"

"How rude," Raimei scoffed, shaking her head.

"And you can shut up as well, actually why're you even here?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"I'm supposed to escort her to the Council room with Atsuko, Madara-sama,"

"All of you get out for a moment," Madara warned. The trio complied, leaving a seething Madara and concerned Yukiko in silence.

"I'll get washed quickly," she muttered, getting up.

"You're not going by yourself. I don't know what your Council were like but the Uchiha aren't going to sit down and have a friendly talk with you," he warned, watching her disappear into the bathroom.

* * *

><p>Ten minutes later and Madara, Yukiko, Izuna, Raimei and a rather sullen Atsuko were all heading to the Council room, despite what had been asked of them.<p>

"That bastard Yoshi is up to something," Madara hissed, only Izuna and Yukiko picked up on it though.

"Maybe, he's always got something planned. Let's just have faith!" Izuna teased with a chuckle. "What were your Council like, Yuki-chan?"

"My mother was on the council most of the time I was leading the clan. Then there was my uncle and three other members all of whom had a large amount of respect for my father," Yukiko recalled with a smile.

"Ah! So you had it easy, our Council are a bunch of dogs, isn't that right, Madara?"

"We're here, I really do suggest you all stay outside," Atsuko suddenly announced, turning around but not making eye contact with anyone.

"Oh c'mon, Atsuko, what's wrong with you? Yoshi's your father; I thought you'd be happy Yuki-chan gets to meet him!" Izuna exclaimed playfully. "Although I hardly think anything will go on in there if we're all outside, maybe we should listen to her,"

Madara stayed silent, glaring at Yukiko. Izuna had a point though and he hardly wanted to deal with the Council himself. It'd all be quicker if he stayed away.

"Fine, I can't be bothered with this today," he resigned.

"Thank you," Atsuko whispered, bowing to the brothers before holding the door open for Yukiko. "Please, Yukiko-sama."

Yukiko nodded, entering the room with Atsuko close behind, Raimei decided to stay out of this. It was all too underhanded for her to get involved.

The Ginhana found herself standing before five pairs of Sharingan staring at her, staring through her. All stern faced, one woman among them. Yoshi, she presumed, was the middle-aged man in the middle. He waved his hand to her, gesturing her to sit before them. Atsuko stayed silent but stuck close to Yukiko, she could just about feel the Uchiha maid against her back as she sat down. She could sense the maid's tenseness.

"You're Yukiko Ginhana?" Yoshi asked calmly.

"I am,"

"The one withholding information from us?" he asked, slight anger in his voice now. Yukiko hesitated for a moment.

"I've informed Madara-sama he'll get the information," Yoshi's eyes moved from Yukiko to Atsuko for a moment.

"When?"

"When? I'm not sure yet," she admitted but held her head high. She felt like Yoshi wasn't the sort of person she could show weakness to.

"You're not sure yet? Oh well, by all means, take your time," Yoshi got up, making his way to Yukiko. She looked up at him, still staying strong.

"I feel it's something between me and Madara-sama, I doubt the Council has time on its hands to deal with something as inferior a problem as my information,"

"I doubt you realise this, Ginhana, but some clans actually survive in this world," Yoshi said, his voice thick with suppressed anger.

"I'm afraid I do realise that, sir, however me and Madara-sama have a deal,"

"A deal that involves sleeping with him? Atsuko, go stand outside,"

"Father..."

"Go!" Atsuko had no choice, quickly leaving. Yukiko turned to watch her before making a comment.

"With all due respect, sir, I don't think you should talk to your daughter that..." his fist came down on her jaw, knocking her to the floor before he shoved the side of his hand into her mouth to keep her from screaming.

Instinctively she bit down on his hand, the taste of blood flooding her mouth.

"Alright, Ginhana," he nodded at the other council members, two of them running to her and holding her down. She desperately tried to turn and kick them away from her. "Give up, we've brought you here to forcefully removed that information from you," her smothered screams growing more frantic. She concentrated for a moment, bringing Kiyoshi to her hand. As one of the council members tried to rip it from her she managed to turn the sword into a large snow white tiger.

The woman quickly jumped up, placing a hand on Kiyoshi, Yukiko having to watch the tiger crumble back to sword form. A sealing jutsu specialist. The woman turned to Yukiko.

She kicked more now, biting down on Yoshi's hand even harder.

"I'm a shinobi, you think that'll make me pull back," he snarled, punching Yukiko again, she could feel the bone surrounding her left eye crack as he did so.

It was a searing pain, making her shriek but again the sound went unheard.

The woman approached her, placing her hand on the frantic woman's chest.

"Hayabusa! Come here," Yoshi ordered, the one remaining council member held her legs down with all his weight. Yukiko had one last desperate attempt to bring Kiyoshi to her. It worked but instead of making another animal to attack them with she made an eagle, there was just one thing she wanted from Kiyoshi now and thankfully her sword was in tune with her completely.

The silver eagle let out an ear piercing screech into the room. The door slammed open moments later, the Uchiha brothers entered, instantly Yukiko was freed, clutching her eye and rushed behind Madara all the while spitting out Yoshi's blood and some of her own onto the floor.

"Atsuko, take Yuki to Madara's quarters!" Izuna ordered, the maid nervously nodded, placing an arm around Yukiko and leading her away from the scene. "I'll let you take it from here, Nii-san,"

"Yoshi, stay out of my business!"

"It's our clan as much as yours; we're here to make sure your actions don't destroy us, Madara!" Yoshi snapped angrily, holding his bitten hand.

"How dare you! You undermine me and then claim I'm the one destroying our clan! I'll kill all of you for daring to defy me!" their leader roared, shaking in anger.

"Nii-san! Don't be reckless!" Izuna exclaimed, grabbing his brother's arm.

"Kill us then, Madara! See where that gets you! Why isn't she dead?" Fuuka joined the argument now, equally as angry as Yoshi and Madara.

"I told you before; she's not dead because I'm not killing her for something the Senju did to her!"

"How soft of you, Madara! More like you won't kill a woman you can get your leg over!" Yoshi snapped, Madara lunged forward to punch him only to be intercepted by Izuna.

"Nii-san, stop it! Calm down!"

"Shut up, Izuna, move out of my way!" the elder yelled, but his brother refused.

"I can't. You need to take a moment to calm down,"

"Calm down? If they'd have forcefully ripped that information from her they'd have killed her..." Madara trailed off, swallowing hard. "I'll be back to deal with this later," he hissed, quickly leaving.

"Ah! Please don't..." Izuna was torn between staying and following his brother.

"Tch, just leave him, Izuna. There's no need for you to get hurt as well,"

"How could you, Yoshi? After all we went through because of mother!" Izuna cried, before chasing after Madara.

"Raimei, you just going to sit there?" Yoshi asked Raimei who was leaning against the door frame.

"I didn't want you to go through with it, Yoshi-san; I knew it'd turn out like this. This is a close issue for them so please, Yoshi-san and you too, grandma, leave them alone for now,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko curled up on the bed, screaming in pain.<p>

"Yukiko-sama, I've called a medical-nin up here, you've just gotta try and stay calm," Atsuko soothed, her hand on Yukiko's shoulder.

"No! I'm going to end up blind, I know it!"

"You can't possibly know something like that," the maid countered.

"I do! It's the same sort of thing as how I became blind in my other eye!" she yelled.

The door to Madara's quarters opened and a medical-nin appeared, making his way swiftly to Yukiko's side.

"Yukiko-sama, take your hand away from your eye please," he ordered gently as he grabbed her wrist. A green light emitted from his hand as he gently healed the bones. "I can't heal it completely, you'll have to keep that eye bandaged to stop any further damage but you'll keep your sight," he reassured after a few minutes. He pulled out a roll of bandages from his pouch.

"I'll do it, please. Thank you for your help," Atsuko said suddenly, taking the roll from him. He nodded and left.

"Atsuko, do you have any medical training?"

"My sister was a nurse, are you in less pain now, Yukiko-sama?" she asked, slowly bandaging her eye.

"Less pain but it still hurts, you realise that if you bandage my eye I won't be able to see," the kunoichi pointed out, wincing as she shut her eye.

"Ah, I didn't think about that. I'm sorry about that but the bone you've broken is very pain. This isn't necessary but it is just a precaution"

A few minutes later and Atsuko was done.

"Get some rest, Yukiko-sama, I'll tell Hayate-kun to keep watch and make sure no one comes near this room," Yukiko heard Atsuko leave and then the door opened again.

"Yukiko-sama, Atsuko-san told me to stay in here. I'll be right here the whole time," Hayate said quietly. She could hear him sit down at the desk. She weaved several hand signs and used her Ice Threads.

* * *

><p>Atsuko ran down the corridors before finding Izuna and Madara in the training fields, remarkably no one else was around presumably because Madara had told them to leave.<p>

"Madara-sama, Izuna-sama," she said, trying to keep a hold of herself but seeing her father be so brutal, it hurt.

"Huh? Atsuko, how's Yukiko?" Izuna asked, taking his hand off his brother's back, a small frown on his face.

"We had to bandage her eye, she'll need to stay calm for a few days it is just a precaution though. She seems to be taking it fine," she explained, bowing.

"So she's blind right now," Madara said suddenly getting up.

"Yes she is, but she seems fine right now. Madara-sama, what'll happen to my father?" she asked, feeling completely powerless.

"I don't know," he admitted dryly before gesturing the pair to follow him.

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko wandered down the marketplace her clan owned, Megami running ahead of her. <em>

_"Come on, aunty Yuki! I found a really good place to get vegetables from the __Land__ of __Fire__. They're good for rabbits, aren't they?" the young girl asked. _

_"Yes but you've got to be careful, Megami, uncle said you've been too excitable around here..." _

_"YOU FILTHY WHORE!" Yukiko turned to look down an alleyway. She then glanced around her, a kind old woman she knew standing at the stall nearest to her. _

_"Excuse me, Chika, can you keep an eye on Megami while I go sort something out?" she asked quietly. _

_"Of course, Yukiko-sama," _

_Without a second thought, she ran down the alley to find the source of the voice she'd heard before. _

_It was a man from her clan she knew called Sora and his wife, Kimi. _

_"Is there a problem, Sora-san?" she asked politely. He was a notorious drunk though, assuming this was just another incident caused by the amount of alcohol the man would consume. _

_"The problem is this whore thinks its fine to go around talking to other men!" he slurred. How many times had she had this argument with him?_

_"Ah, well surely she's just telling them how wonderful a husband she has," _

_"Don't lie to me, bitch!" he snapped, throwing her off a bit. He'd never taken his anger out on her before. _

_"Sora-san..."_

_"No! Why do we need to be led around by women all the time? A man's job is to protect the women! Instead we're being led by one, it's a disgrace!" _

_Ah, she'd heard this argument from others before though. _

_"Sora-san, do you doubt my abilities as a leader?" she asked a tiny smile on her lips. Yukiko never let it get to her. She was their leader and all she had to do was keep them safe. _

_"No...Don't get me wrong...Isamu, he was, he was great. You're great too I just hate you," _

_"Ah, I see. Well that's a shame because I like you, Sora-san," _

_Crack! She wasn't quite sure what he'd hit her with but she knew instantly it was bad, blood blurring her vision. Her right eye was searing in pain. _

_"Kimi! Go!" she shouted, using her Ice Threads to tie and subdue Sora. _

* * *

><p>Yukiko woke up, hearing the door slide open.<p>

"Hayate?" she asked, sitting up.

"Leave, Hayate," she heard Madara growl.

"Madara-sama, I'm sorry," Yukiko said, feeling him sit next to her.

"Oh what for?" he snapped. "Don't say stupid things, Yukiko,"

"I should've fought them off; I should've been able to take out 5 people,"

"5 people, yes. 5 Uchiha, no. Like it matters now, I'll deal with them later. I'm fed up of people thinking they can defy me and I'll do nothing, I am not a doormat I am their leader," Madara was still shaking with anger but Yukiko wasn't quite sure what to do. She reached out and touched his arm.

"Why does it matter, Madara-sama? Once I'm recovered...You can have that information, it apparently means so much to your clan,"

"That's not the point, dammit! The point is I wasn't informed of any of this. I've explicitly told them..." he trailed off.

"Told them?"

"It doesn't matter what I told them, they knew I was getting that information,"

"Madara-sama, why haven't you tried forcing it from me yet?" she inquired, feeling him pull on her arm. Much like she had been that morning, Yukiko was on his lap once more. His arms tightly around her, had they been any tighter he'd have been crushing her. She buried her head in the nape of his neck.

"You don't need to know,"

"What if I never give you the scroll? Then what? If I just stay here until I die and then you can have it," he knew the answer to this one.

"You wouldn't. Now you know how desperate my clan is to get that scroll, you wouldn't abuse the influence it has. You're too stupid for that," he explained.

"True, but there a part of me that doesn't want you to have it, not just for the Senju's sake but for my own selfish reasons as well," she countered quietly.

"Hn?"

She didn't give him any further explanation, slowly falling asleep again. She knew what her selfish reasons were.

To her, the Uchiha Stronghold had become her home and she wasn't willing to give up the security she felt with Madara either.

It was truly as Atsuko said; when someone loses everything they fight that much harder to keep what little light they had left. The Uchiha had become her light but she had too much pride to admit it to Madara, she barely wanted to admit it to herself.

She felt Madara lie her down properly and then get up.

"You called me Yukiko again,"

"Tch, I'll call you whatever I damn please," he retorted.

"Thank you, Madara-sama,"

* * *

><p><strong>AH! There's ahhhh *points at the chapter* I see something. Could it be mutual respect! Everything has to start somewhere.<strong>

**Yukiko's not having a good time right now. She gets back, has sex, gets called the Council room, gets beaten up and nearly killed and then she's blinded for a while. Ah well. **

**That flashback of how she hurt her right eye, that'll be expanded on later I just didn't want to give too much away at once. :)**

**So what'd you think of Madara and Yukiko so far? X3 **

**Next Chapter Title: I Just Feel Too Tired To Be Fighting**


	19. I Just Feel Too Tired To Be Fighting

Gosh. I was listening to the Okami soundtrack when I wrote this and I'll warn you, this chapter skips all over the place! XD I'll explain it all later i.e at the end of the chapter. But I do like this one. I could imagine it being a sort of film moment. :)

Chapter Title: Bad Dream by Keane. Love Keane. Love that song. There's a line in it that reminds me of Madara. "Baby, I'm a man and I was born to hate!" That Curse Of Hatred thing, eh? And if you aren't far enough in the anime/manga to know what that is, well I'm not talking to you.

Dedication (say what? Basically this is to people who're inspiring me to do all my quick updates/give me lots of company and lols while I'm writing these chapters): TheWishperingDream and Midnightstormfoxx. Oh and to MitternachtDressage for your wonderful, random reviews about birds and bunnehs and Yuti-Chan who'll review without fail and has been with this from the start. Thankies all of you.

Disclaimer: Own nothing except OCs and the, now throroughly, weird plot. BUT I DO KNOW WHERE I'M GOING WITH THIS JUST TRUST ME.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nineteen<strong>

**I Just Feel Too Tired To Be Fighting**

Madara was gone by the time Yukiko was awake again, confused by the fact she couldn't keep track of time anymore. Was it evening yet? She was hungry.

"Hayate?" she called out, sitting up. Instinctively she tried to look around.

"Yukiko-sama, you're awake," Hayate said, standing up from the chair at the desk.

"What time is it?" she asked, trying to stand up.

"It's almost time for dinner actually. Would you like me to bring you some food?"

"No, we'll go down to the Grand Hall," she corrected; even if she was injured Yukiko had never been the type to let that get in the way of routine.

"Well, I'll have to ask…"

The door slid open and Yukiko conjured her ice threads.

"Izuna-san, I need your help,"

"Ah, Yuki-chan, I was just coming to get you. I thought watching you eat blind would be a fun little game," Izuna laughed.

"That seems a little…" she was interrupted though by the force of Izuna pinning her, face down on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Yuki-chan," he slid a kunai across her bandage, slicing through and breaking skin slightly.

"Izuna…"

"Shush for a moment. Now listen to me, Yukiko, because this is where this little game ends…"

* * *

><p>Atsuko wandered the woods aimlessly. She knew something terrible was happening now. Her clan couldn't see it but their protectors were at each others' throats. A power struggle between passion and logic. It all was too much to take for her; she needed a break especially now that Yukiko was just another pawn.<p>

The sky erupted into life, as rain pounded her surroundings relentlessly.

Izuna would be talking to Yukiko by now, she guessed.

"Mina, are you watching? Mina! Whatever you have to do…Stop him," she cried to the crying sky.

A twig cracked behind her. Atsuko quickly turned around, horrified by the sight before her.

* * *

><p>Yoshi stood at the window of his office, inspecting his freshly covered bite wound. Fuuka cleared her throat at the door.<p>

"Yoshi, we'll have to do something, this has turned into quite the emergency here and over something so…_trivial_," she joined him at his side. "That's quite the storm as well,"

"A bad omen, perhaps, and in answer to your thoughts we will end this tonight. Even if it means the death of our own leader, Izuna realises that now. I have no choice but to…" Yoshi trailed off, glancing behind him.

"I understand, his recklessness may tear our clan apart. It is our job to ensure the Uchiha are not led to destruction and that means Madara must be shown the error of his ways or else. And by tonight we'll have that scroll and the Senju will fall," Fuuka finished his sentence off.

There was a heavy silence between the pair, the only sound to break it was the occasional roll of thunder, lightning snaking the sky as it illuminated the room for a brief moment before extinguishing its light just as fast. The torrent of rain seemed just as unforgiving as the wind picked up, howling at the window.

Yoshi sighed. "When do you suggest we act?" he asked.

"We already are,"

* * *

><p>Madara walked down to the guard post near his quarters, finding a guard there by himself.<p>

"Madara-sama, Izuna-sama is in there," he reported with a bow.

"What about Atsuko?" Madara asked, glancing down towards his room.

"She…She was in the woods until about 15 minutes ago, then she disappeared completely," the guard had been worried but hadn't gone to look for the maid, tonight he was under strict orders.

"Send Hoshi out to find her," the leader ordered before turning to walk back to the Grand Hall.

"In this weather, Madara-sama?"

"Hoshi is the one of only two parts in my army that won't fail me, he simply doesn't know how to," he reassured, glancing back with a smirk.

"And the other, Madara-sama?"

"The other is in my room right now, I'm sure of it,"

* * *

><p>Izuna stabbed the table with the kunai in his hand, glaring at the door and then Yukiko.<p>

"You really are his brother, Izuna-san," she whispered before getting up and grabbing Kiyoshi.

"I am and I'm proud of it," he laughed, his expression softening instantly as he did so.

"So…I'm supposed to choose now?"

* * *

><p>"If I were you, I'd run, little maid. From what I've heard this place will be tearing itself apart soon enough," Kai advised, chuckling to himself.<p>

"What're you doing here, Kai?" Atsuko snapped, pulling out several kunai from a pouch hidden beneath her skirt.

"I'm repaying a debt to Yukiko Ginhana, we've got a little gamble on and if she does what I think she might do then I'll be here to receive my payment," he explained, walking towards Atsuko. "You're her, aren't you?"

"What?" she backed away from him nervously.

"You're the woman…"

* * *

><p>"It was our mother, she was killed for the information she had on the Uchiha right in front of Madara's eyes," Izuna announced suddenly, earning a shocked look from Yukiko. "She's the reason Madara won't kill you. He doesn't think it's fair for a woman to be killed because of a burden someone else placed within,"<p>

"That's…I'm so sorry. I couldn't imagine what that must have been like," she admitted, eyes dropping to the floor.

"That and despite what my brother may say or do, he actually likes having you around. Another clan leader here takes some of the burden from him, hell if he was the type I'm sure he'd tell you how hard he finds it at times," he further explained with a laugh.

"You lied again to me then. You said the last person brought in under these circumstances was killed, why did you want me to stay around longer if you knew there was no danger?" she asked, her grip on Kiyoshi tightened.

"So that Madara would realise you're the sort of person he needs to help him. Things like paperwork, organising things, I've never been good at them myself so now you're here, Madara can train with me more and that makes us all happy," he laughed again, it wasn't a complete lie. He'd realised she could do all those things for his older brother later on. But for now he had to focus.

"Forgive me for saying this, Izuna-san, but your plan has gotten quite out of hand; say I make the wrong choice,"

"Do it and I'll kill you myself,"

* * *

><p>Atsuko stood trembling in front of Kai.<p>

"W-what do you mean?" she asked, taking another step back,

"I never forget a chakra signature, my dear. You're her, aren't you?" he tilted his head in confusion. "No matter. Now I've got you listening, come here," Kai grabbed her wrist and led her towards the Stronghold.

* * *

><p>Yoshi and Fuuka headed out of his office and down towards Madara's room, the other three Council members joining them outside.<p>

"We'll have to be quick, I'm sure that she has a patrol with her at all times," Yoshi hissed, opening the door quickly and quietly.

The room was completely empty though, the only sign that people had been there was a small puddle of blood on the bed. Alarm bells ringing, Yoshi's jaw clenched.

"Go get Genshi; we'll need to find her immediately. She's gone running away again,"

* * *

><p>"Why don't I just give you the scroll?" Yukiko asked, running behind Izuna as they headed for the woods.<p>

"It's more a symbolic thing really, handing it to Madara instead of me. Trust me, Yuki-chan, stick with me and it'll all work out. You made the right choice!" he shouted over the din from the sky.

"Izuna-sama!" the pair stopped instantly and turned to see Atsuko with Kai.

"You bastard!" Izuna hissed, lunging for the Azuri.

"Wait!" Atsuko and Yukiko cried out in unison. The Uchiha was thrown off now, glancing between the pair.

"Kai's here to help me and in exchange I agreed to try and help him with some troubles," Yukiko explained, Kai shook his head, relinquishing his grip on Atsuko's wrist.

"So it's finally going down, huh? Trouble really follows you, fox. You kill a daimyo and then come back here and end up injured yourself, tell me it wasn't the great Madara Uchiha hurting you," Kai laughed, running a hand through his soaked dark brown hair.

"No it wasn't. It was…"

"Don't! If we really have to talk this through then you'll come with me. And Azuri, you try anything and I swear I'll slice your throat," Izuna threatened, this situation was getting more and more out of hand but he'd have to accommodate each twist. It was, after all, what he did best.

"Are we heading to the cabin?" Atsuko asked quietly, she was shaking and neither Yukiko nor Izuna knew if it was from fear or the cold.

"We'll head there now, let's move and Azuri, you're sticking with me," Izuna gestured Kai to stay beside him and the group moved off.

* * *

><p>Madara had no idea what was happening, or at least he had to act that way. He simply sat calmly in the Grand Hall, just another day.<p>

He ate quietly by himself, which was actually rather relaxing and then got up and left. Nothing to rouse the suspicions of his army, sometimes Izuna didn't show up for meals so there was hardly anything strange about that.

He wandered slowly up to his office, sat at his desk and waited.

At this point though, Madara had no idea what he was waiting for. He knew the Council would strike, he knew Izuna would make sure that didn't happen and he knew at some point he'd step in and assert his authority once more. However apart from that he didn't know the finer details of Izuna's plans since they could change so rapidly it was better just to put faith in his little brother.

He leaned back on his seat, slipping his locket out of his pocket and turned it over, running his thumb gently over the engraved writing.

Sometimes his past would creep up on him yet at the same time he longed for it. He wanted to remember his parents, the things they did, how they acted, who they were. At the same time though most of his memories were hazy except for the night his parents died.

He clicked the locket open and studied the picture of them for a moment. Some of the older Uchiha would say how much he looked like his father, while Izuna resembled his mother. It was true but at the same time it hurt him a little to hear.

Madara sighed. Too much drama was going on around him but once he had the Council sorted it would all settle down. Although all he wanted to do at that moment was…He shook his head.

"_Soft Madara-sama," _

He got up, deciding to go on a walk before his mind began to play with him again.

Izuna would sort this entire mess out and then Yukiko would be gone.

It made him wonder why he'd tried to stop her going to the Council in the first place, why he'd gotten angry when she'd mentioned she liked Kai Azuri…

His brother was wrong though. He didn't _like _Yukiko. She was his though, the sound of her climax still resounded in his ears as pleasing as a bell chime.

The moment they'd shared that morning though would be their last if tonight went to plan.

Madara had been selfish for a time, focussing on his own gratification and now was time to start focussing on his clan again. Even so he couldn't shake that feeling of possession over her.

He sighed again, shaking his head as he reached to door of his office.

* * *

><p>The four of them reached the cabin in the woods quickly, Izuna turned to Kai immediately.<p>

"What's going on?" he asked, annoyed that the Azuri would dare even show up.

"I have a debt with the fox, that's all. It's got nothing to do with you, Izuna-kun," the sensor replied holding his hands up in a mock surrender.

"A debt, Yuki-chan?" the Uchiha now turned to her.

"It was something we discussed at the Water Daimyo's palace but it won't affect my choice here," she reassured him, bringing Kiyoshi back to her hand. "They'll be after us now; would you like me to check where they are?"

"Actually, explain to me what's going on, fox," Kai interrupted. Yukiko looked at him for a moment, deep in thought and then looked at Izuna.

"Fine, the Uchiha Council are trying to kill me for the scroll I have on the Senju. Apparently they've grown impatient with me and Izuna-san is here to protect me while we wait for Madara-sama," she explained, skimming over most of the crucial details.

"Fine, so will I being helping here as well?" Kai sighed; he hadn't expected all this although that's why he couldn't predict the Uchiha.

"No, just focus on our deal for now, Kai,"

"Fine, but just so you know, Madara is approaching,"

* * *

><p>Yoshi, Fuuka and the other Council members headed to the large imperial gates of the Stronghold.<p>

The wind was really tearing at them now, the rain was torrential and the lightning's dance in the sky seemed to be never-ending with the constant beat provided by the thunder's roll.

There were 20 guards posted to the gates, all of them were extremely loyal to Madara and by the looks of them all of them had been informed to be wary of the Council.

"Open the gates, Hayate," Yoshi ordered.

The young guard stood in the centre of the doors, a stern look in his eyes.

"We're under strict orders not to let you through here, I'm afraid. So please return to your rooms," Hayate answered, he felt a strange tug as he put on his strong act.

"Under orders by Madara-sama, I presume?" Yoshi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, we are. And Izuna-sama and Yukiko-sama,"

"Yukiko-_sama_?" Fuuka spat.

Still Hayate's expression didn't change.

"Yes, Yukiko-sama. As long as she has the favour of our leader, that's how we'll address her," he took in a deep breath, not once breaking eye contact with Yoshi.

"Unfortunately, it's Raimei's job to earn his favour. You've read the situation wrong completely, Hayate, just as usual," Yoshi laughed.

"I'm afraid not, sir. These were the orders direct from Madara-sama a few weeks ago," Hayate corrected.

"That man…He's being completely brash as usual,"

* * *

><p>Madara strode towards the cabin; he was only a mile from it now but was in no mood to rush. He had his guards slowing down the Council.<p>

To his surprise though, Yukiko Ginhana was waiting for him in a clearing, unlike him she wasn't wearing a hooded cloak. Her hair soaked, her ninja outfit clung to her desperately but all in all the sight was a sorrowful one. Not because of the storm or her appearance but because of the look in her eye.

"Yukiko, what're you doing out here?" he asked, annoyed she wasn't with Izuna.

"I came out here to talk to you alone," no fear in her anymore. She had no time to be fearful. Madara looked back towards the Stronghold.

"Go on,"

"Madara-sama, today has been an endless nightmare, one that I can't see a proper solution to yet. So I'll ask you honestly, do you want this as badly as your Council do?" from behind her back she pulled out a scroll, sealed with the Senju clan's emblem. His eyes widened in surprise.

"I wouldn't kill you for it," he answered, taking a step towards her. She responded by taking one back.

"But why? This will stop your war with the Senju!" she asked, having to shout as more thunder rumbled above them.

"Because…" he swallowed hard. It was right in front of him now and he'd have to tread lightly to get it. "Because of my own past,"

"Your mother was killed, I understand and I'm sorry,"

"I never asked for your apology! Did you kill her? No! It was the damn Senju so don't you dare give me your pity!" he shouted suddenly. He hated sorry.

_Why apologise for things that had nothing to do with you? _He thought bitterly to himself.

Yukiko took a moment to think. Even with the scroll before his very eyes he was Madara to the end.

She quickly resealed it back within her, in a flash she felt herself restrained. But what Madara in front of her still...Who was...?

"Don't take this personally, fox, this is just to do with the Uchiha. But isn't that the way your life is now?" Kai asked, a kunai lightly pressed to her neck. "Aren't you going to get angry, Madara? You seem very quiet..."

"No, I'm not," he chuckled. The Azuri narrowed his eyes, confused and annoyed. Suddenly, Yukiko managed to turn and kick him away, summoning Kiyoshi to her hand before pinning Kai to the floor. With the icy blade at his neck he wasn't foolish enough to move.

"You underestimate my skills, and my patience, Kai. You should've listened to me in the Land of Water and gone home," her voice was cold.

"What's that supposed to mean, fox?"

Kunai whizzed past her head, but again not from Madara, she turned.

"Madara, take the scroll from her now or we'll kill you both here," Yoshi declared. Even Kai seemed to go silent, not wanting to get involved at all whereas Yukiko watched the Uchiha leader carefully.

"Yukiko, come here, the Azuri won't try anything," Madara ordered, his voice almost quiet. She slowly got up, her hand trembling slightly as she gripped Kiyoshi even tighter than usual. It felt like a century, a slow walk to what she was certain would be her execution. The Council watching her carefully. She reached Madara's side, staying absolutely silent.

He placed his arm around her and then the world went black.

* * *

><p>Izuna turned back to the gates with a smile on his face to all the guards.<p>

"Tonight, men, we will be _free_!"

* * *

><p><strong>I'm expecting another "Say WHAT" review from TheWishperingDream. XD In due time, I'll explain myself but for now that's what you're getting. <strong>

**We've had assassination, we've had rape, sex, violence, control, genocide, bunny rescues...and now? Well now we have power struggles and turmoil and mutiny. I'm covering a lot but leave me be, I'm enjoying this. There's lots more to come. Eventually I'll get to that silly romance thing but for now this is it. Actually there was a glimmer of romantic feeling from Madara in his office but that's because he was thinking naughty things, so that doesn't count. Perv. *glares at Madara wallpaper on my PS3 homepage* **

**Question: Kai said something interesting at one point. :) I want to see if you noticed it and can take a guess at what he meant. And it has nothing to do with the deal he's got going on with Yukiko by the way. **

**Next Chapter Title: Is This Weird? Do I Scare Her? **

**Oh I'll tell you now in case you want to look up the song, it'll help and it's my favourite song right now. It's called Backend of Forever by Coheed and Cambria.  
><strong>


	20. Is This Weird? Do I Scare Her?

Morning all! After that short and confusing chapter I've got a nice long one for you! :) Not a particularly happy one but if you wanted a happy story I doubt you'd have read this far in. I mean the kid dies and the rabbits get murdered. That's enough depression for me!

Song title: Backend of Forever by Coheed and Cambria. And I'll bet none of you listened to that song. You're missing out.

Disclaimer: If I could own Naruto...Ah...I'd own Madara...Yum. Something tells me Yukiko wouldn't be happy about that though.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty<strong>

**Is This Weird? Do I Scare Her?**

Atsuko sat in the cabin, glancing at Izuna.

"You can stop now, Hayate-kun," she laughed. There was a puff of smoke and Hayate was…Hayate again.

"Did I even have you fooled for a moment, Atsuko-san?" he asked, a playful smile. Her laugh…Atsuko didn't laugh enough.

"No, I'm with Izuna-sama everyday and Kai knew it wasn't you either. The switch happened in Madara-sama's room, didn't it?" she pointed out, curious at how Izuna had pulled this out off.

"Yes, he threatened Yukiko-sama and they made a few plans and then he called me over and I turned into Izuna-sama. She was amused as well," he admitted, sitting on the futon with her.

"I see, she would be amused by that. She does have a sense of humour," Atsuko hadn't stopped laughing yet, her nerves and the image of Hayate trying to be Izuna was too much to keep herself contained.

"I never really noticed that about her. She just seems cold," he dared to say. Yukiko was vastly higher than he was and he was certain even if she wouldn't punish him for saying so Madara probably would.

"She's cold enough to handle Madara-sama but warm enough to want to protect him," the maid explained, having stopped laughing now.

"Hm? I never really got the feeling she liked him much at all,"

"Don't worry, Hayate-kun, I don't think she did either,"

* * *

><p>It was dry, that was the first thing Yukiko noticed. Silence surrounded her. It wasn't hot, it wasn't cold. It was nothing.<p>

She found herself lying on a grey slab, curled up. The world around her was dark, littered with more grey slabs.

"Ice Style: Ice Threads!" her threads spread out but there was nothing. The world seemed endless though.

"I've died, I've died and gone to some sort of hell," she whispered to herself, getting up. Kiyoshi wasn't in her hands anymore. "I must've dropped it when…"

She remembered the Council, remembered Madara putting his arm around her and then nothing. Did he kill her then? Did he really murder her and that's why she didn't have Kiyoshi anymore?

She placed her hand out in front of her, closing her eyes.

"Summoning jutsu: Kiyoshi!" nothing. Wherever she was, her bond with Kiyoshi was severed somehow.

Yukiko was totally alone and yet at the same time the entire place reeked of Madara somehow.

"Madara-sama…" she decided to wander the barren landscape, glancing around her as she leapt from one slab to the next.

It was strange, she didn't feel any different. Her head still hurt, the bruise on her jaw was coming along quite nicely and yet she felt safe.

While there was nothing around her but there was also no danger.

Was this peace?

* * *

><p>Izuna commanded his squad to follow him, running into the woods. Kohaku was by his side in seconds.<p>

"Something's wrong," the older Uchiha hissed, glancing back at Aoi and Takehiko. The pair nodded.

"What's going on then?" Izuna asked, worried for a moment.

"Yuki-sensei's chakra has completely disappeared! It was sudden though," Takehiko added, looking to Aoi to explain the strangeness of the situation.

"Izuna-san, when you're killed your chakra doesn't completely disappear suddenly. It slowly extinguishes. Sometimes it's rapid but it's never completely sudden. This reminds me of a battle we had with the Senju once. My brother observed a certain sort of jutsu from Tobirama Senju. He can disappear into a void also however there are no Senju around," Aoi explained, his voice monotonous as he did so.

"I know what's going on, don't worry, it's from my brother and it just means Yuki-chan is safe for now. We'll have twenty minutes to do this. Let's pick up the pace!"

* * *

><p>Madara had a cocky grin on his face as Yoshi slipped on his black gloves, Sharingan aglow.<p>

"Forgive me, Fuuka, but this is for me to deal with. He is my student," he ordered, taking a deep breath in.

"Alright, we'll stand down for now," Fuuka nodded at her companions.

"I surpassed you long ago, Yoshi. Although life for the Uchiha would improve with your death," Madara laughed, there was a sudden bell ringing in his ear. He glanced down to find Kiyoshi vibrating on the ground. It stopped as quickly as it'd started.

"Pay attention, boy!" Yoshi launched forward to punch Madara who grabbed his fist without even looking up from the sword. He kicked it up into his hand and then tightened his grip on Yoshi's fist.

The older Uchiha aimed a kick to his ribs; he threw Yoshi down and leapt away.

Fuuka leapt forward to attack. He wasn't surprised that she would, the Council were dishonest even to each other.

A large shuriken flew out from behind Madara, aimed straight for Fuuka who rolled onto the ground to avoid it.

"Forgive me, Madara-sama, but I wanted to help you. It's been a while," Atsuko was waiting in a tree, smiling gently.

"Tch, whatever, hold off Fuuka. Just don't get yourself killed or my brother might try to kill me," Madara agreed, laughing a bit to himself.

Atsuko unravelled a scroll and in a puff of smoke revealed her wakizashi. She jumped down, Hayate joining her on the ground.

"Shall we?" Hayate asked. The maid nodded and the pair ran to cut Fuuka off from the fight with Yoshi.

Madara ignored what was going on behind him. He may have surpassed Yoshi but he was still aware that his old sensei had some fight in him. At the same time he had a time limit to worry about.

_Dammit, Izuna, you could hurry up…_

Fighting without his brother felt…strange but he had no time to waste, preparing his jutsu.

"Fire style: Great Dragon Fire!" from his palm spread three enormous dragons made of compressed flames, it was a dangerous jutsu to use in quite a small space, the trees surrounding them were instantly alight.

The density of the flames heated the air; it made Yoshi sluggish as he avoided the large dragons as they twisted to strike him.

"Water style: Violent Bubble Wave!" but instead of extinguishing the flames, the water simply evaporated.

_When did he get that strong a jutsu? _Yoshi thought to himself, leaping back, the flame licked at his arm and a searing pain spread across him.

A weakness…as he hissed in pain he released, like a predator, Madara was on him instantly. With Kiyoshi in hand he jabbed at Yoshi, who desperately tried to dodge but found his side scraped across the blade.

The worst thing to do fighting Madara was to let him take command of the battle flow, Yoshi knew that much and yet he was powerless before his own student.

"Fire style: Great Fireball jutsu!" something strange happened when Yoshi's fireball was heading for Madara though, something that even though the leader off.

Kiyoshi shattered instantly, reforming into a wall of ice than managed to deflect the ball straight back at Yoshi who barely managed to escape the blaze again.

Madara's vision blurred for a moment.

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko sat at the table in her room, staring at a snowflake encased in resin. She glanced over at Kiyoshi with a weary sigh. <em>

"_I don't know if I'm ready yet," she muttered to herself, a dark haired woman that Madara guessed was her mother sat on Yukiko's bed with a stern look in her eyes. _

"_Your father wanted you to take Kiyoshi and I'm not leading this clan forever, Yukiko. You need to grow up and take responsibility for your people. I can't lead this clan, I'm a Yuki. It's bad enough your father married me, if I stay in command for too long there'll be a rebellion and people will die. Honestly, child, you need to grow up now," she scolded; her white haired daughter sighed and shook her head._

"_It's not like I don't know that, mother. It's just…Kiyoshi is father's sword," _

"_Your father is dead, Yukiko. And although it was too soon you need to admit that even if you aren't prepared you're going to try to be. If you want someone to blame then blame the Uchiha for killing him," Ritsuko continued to scold her. _

"_I'm not blaming anyone, mother! War is war. It doesn't matter, we fight for however gives us the highest price. It's not exactly something to take pride in," Yukiko explained. She looked so tired, that was something else he noticed. _

"_Yes but you take pride in the fact you're making your life good for your people! Now take Kiyoshi, bond with him and meet me downstairs for dinner," her mother stormed out of the room. _

_Yukiko yawned. _

"_Gosh, I hate this. But mother's right. This is my responsibility. I just wish…Father was here," she picked up the snowflake in resin, taking a small bottle out of the drawer in her desk. Madara leaned over her shoulder as she placed a tiny drop of blood on the snowflake. "I'm sorry, Kiyoshi, you're stuck with me now but I'll take good care of you," she put her hand back into the drawer and pulled out a syringe. _

_Yukiko proceeded to tie a tourniquet tightly around her arm and waited a moment or so for the vein to rise. Gently she pushed the syringe into the vein and drew out some blood before adding some of it to the bottle of blood and then some on the snowflake. _

_Madara watched intently, confused about what she was doing. _

_She grabbed the blade, unsheathed it and laid it down on her desk. He noticed that the blade wasn't shimmering. It was white but the glistening he was used to wasn't there. _

_She placed the blood-soaked snowflake against the blade. _

"_I, Yukiko Ginhana, declare that Kiyoshi shall do what I see fit," she whispered. The blade burst to life, the shimmering crystals were visible once more. "Now that's done. Mother should be happy. Listen to me, Kiyoshi; you've got to be in tuned with me as I will be with you. That's all I want, so you'll need to understand how I feel and act accordingly but I think we'll get along fine," _

* * *

><p>Madara gasped, feeling as though the air was being sucked from him. He blinked a few times, Yoshi pinned against the tree with several deep cuts on his chest. They weren't fatal but they were in need of medical attention.<p>

Izuna appeared behind him.

"Madara, you seem to be handling yourself well enough," they glanced to the other council, all of them subdued by Hayate and Atsuko.

"How…long?" he asked, confused. What had just happened to him? Had he been in Yukiko's mind or…?

"You'd better go to the nearby lake, that'll give you some peace. You've got 3 minutes left," Izuna advised with a gentle smile.

Madara nodded, not needing telling twice. He needed to sort his head out and he felt at his limit, he was glad Izuna was alright as well but that went unsaid.

"You deal with them. I want them tied up, chakra suppressed and down in the cells!" Madara ordered Izuna's squad before leaving.

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat down on a slab. She'd been wandering for what felt like forever. She yawned and shrugged.<p>

"Madara-sama," she muttered to herself, looking around. She had finally concluded that this was definitely to do with Madara.

But it was so peaceful…So quiet.

Yukiko put her head in her hands with a sigh. It was that nagging feeling in her head again. She wanted to see him. She needed to feel safe. Since when had that man become a pillar of safety to her?

She traced it back in her mind…traced it all the way back to Kouta. Ah, had it been that long?

There was a sudden vacuum of air pulling her in.

"AH!" she grabbed at the slab, fingers slipping. She clenched her eyes shut and focussed on clinging on but lost her grip swiftly hitting the soaked ground with a thump.

Yukiko looked around, the woods…How was she back in the woods? She recognised it as being near the cabin, a panting Madara in front of her.

"Madara-sama?" she sat up, keeping the fact she was relieved to see him locked up in her mind desperately.

"That jutsu…still isn't quite right and your damn sword…" he threw Kiyoshi down in front of her. "I knew you'd be more trouble than you're worth!" he snapped.

"Madara-sama! You should lie down," she advised quietly, picking her sword up.

"You're a liar," he growled.

"What?"

"You lied. You hated becoming leader of your clan," as soon as he said that, her pale complexion found a new way of becoming whiter.

"H-How?...How could you possibly say that?" Yukiko asked, trembling as she stood up.

"I don't know how I know! I was there, I saw you bonding with Kiyoshi or whatever you call it. And your mother nagging you about being a leader," she knew exactly what he was talking about, had no doubt he couldn't possibly have made it up.

Madara grabbed her wrist, tugging her as they walked in silence to the cabin. She sat at the desk as Madara laid down, she eyed him carefully.

"I didn't hate being a leader; I hated having to do it without my father's guidance," Yukiko admitted quietly. "My plan was always to have my father on the Council for a while with me,"

"I don't care. You pretended to be some sort of saint and you never wanted this to begin with," he groaned, he was exhausted.

"Madara-sama, are you feeling okay?" she asked, getting up and sitting down next to him.

"I'm tired; can you just shut up and let me sleep?" Madara snapped. The Ginhana seemed stressed though and it was annoying him. "What's wrong with you?"

"N-nothing, I'm tired as well," she muttered, he reached up to grab her top and pulled her down and kissed her.

"Shut up and stop being such a pain then," he turned his head, extinguished the lantern lighting the room.

"I'm sorry, Madara-sama. I guess I've been acting strange lately,"

"Strange? You ran off and killed a Daimyo! There's nothing strange about that," Madara growled sarcastically.

"That's not why I've been acting so strangely," Yukiko muttered. "I've just been having all these strange thoughts and I can't quite place why and how I have these thoughts,"

"Go on, I'm listening. Maybe it'll put me to sleep,"

"You know the effect you can have on me, don't you? You make me feel…passionate and fiery and so…alive. But there's so much danger within you as well, Madara-sama and you disassemble all of my defences with something as small as a kiss. I've never wanted anything from a man before. But there's so much you make me want…Are you asleep, Madara-sama?" she whispered, looking up at his peaceful expression. "You were that tired? Okay then, thank you as well. Thank you for saving me from your own Council. Anyone else would have thrown me to them quite gladly, but not you. You're so much different from what they say or rather what Tobirama-kun says,"

Yukiko was quiet for a while, thinking to herself. She would occasionally glance up at him, until she felt herself starting to nod off. Feeling brave, she wriggled up a bit and gently placed her hand on his cheek. There was still no reaction from him.

"I'll tell you a secret then. First of all, I've set up a trap. Not for you or the Uchiha, but for the Azuri. They're being led by another madman now but I don't want to kill him, he's good deep down but just so much anger and hate. I guess, he's sort of like you. I'm worried that if something terrible were to happen to you or maybe Izuna, it'd send you over the edge. And the other secret is that I ask a lot of you. Your home, your own bed, your protection, your food however it's all meaningless, Madara-sama, keep wanting me because I want your undivided attention, as possessive as that sounds," she kissed his cheek tenderly before whispering a good night to him and falling asleep in his arms. Safe and secure for now.

* * *

><p>"What would your mother say if she knew you were doing this to me?" Yoshi spat as he was thrown into the cell, Izuna walked to the bars smiling.<p>

"I don't know, Yoshi, I don't tend to remember people I knew for a few months," he teased, it stung a little to admit he didn't remember his parents but it was hardly like anyone expected him to.

"You'll blindly follow Madara even though he's being a reckless fool? He'll kill us all!" his sensei screamed.

"He's my brother and I believe him. I'll follow him into the very pits of Hell, Yoshi, which is probably where I'll see you next,"

"Atsuko, listen to me, I am your father and you dare to side with them?" he pleaded, looking to his daughter behind Izuna.

"I can't help it, father. I believe in Madara-sama as well," she confessed. She hated seeing her father like this and hated even more the fact he'd probably end up beaten and tortured but at the same time…

"It's about your mother, isn't it? It was for the good of the clan!"

"Can we leave, Izuna-sama?" she asked him desperately before her father mentioned anything more.

"Yes, we have to go visit another cell," Izuna agreed, taking her hand and walked her into the next row of cells.

"Izuna-kun, you realise that I'm only here to help Yukiko, don't you?" Kai asked as they reached his cell.

"Yes, I realise that however we've let your kind wander freely before and a woman ended up raped and dead one time and nearly raped the other time," Izuna snapped.

"What?" Kai asked, his expression conveying his honest confusion.

"Your brother raped Minako Uchiha and she killed herself and then he tried it on with Yuki-chan," Izuna snapped.

"I thought her name was Atsuko, it was you, I told you I never forget a chakra signature," Kai answered, his mouth slightly open before closing into a smile. "Your maid has been lying to you, Izuna-kun,"

"I…I don't know what you're talking about," Atsuko stuttered, looking to Izuna for help.

"You're lying, Atsuko, I demand you explain what he's going on about," he ordered, glancing back at Kai.

"I…I can't!" she sobbed before turning and running off.

"Atsuko!" Izuna nearly chased after her but instead turned his attention back to the Azuri. "You really never forget a chakra signature?"

"That woman never said her name to me, how could I possibly know it was Atsuko?"

He was right; there was no way he would've known her name.

Izuna nodded and ran after her.

* * *

><p>It didn't take Izuna long to reach Atsuko's room, all but kicking the door down to get in.<p>

"What's going on, Atsuko?" he demanded, finding her lying on the bed, her face buried in a pillow as she sobbed. "Tell me,"

"I can't," she faced him, unable to hold her emotions in.

"As your superior officer I demand that you tell me," his Sharingan appeared now, frightening her.

"I…It was me…Kouta Azuri, he raped me," she admitted after several attempts and coughing on her own tears.

"How? Why would Minako…?"

"Because she was supposed to be working that night…She was but…But she said she couldn't be bothered and bullied me into taking her shift…I…I guess…She felt guilty and ashamed that she…She couldn't protect me," Atsuko was shocked by what happened next.

Izuna hugged her, but it wasn't the playful sort he'd give her occasionally. He was honestly trying to make her feel better.

"Why would you lie then, Atsuko?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know…I panicked because…I thought you wouldn't want to look at me. I felt so…used and ashamed and so…disgusted at myself. I wanted to rip my own skin off at one point it got so bad…But I just wanted you to like me,"

They sat in total stillness; the only sound was her sobs that slowed down eventually.

"I suppose that you can stay with me tonight. I don't want you staying here by yourself after all this," she nodded, taking his hand and slowly making their way down to his quarters.

* * *

><p>Madara awoke with Hoshi staring down at him, a letter in the bird's beck. He lazily took it from him and ordered the bird to leave him alone.<p>

Sunlight was creeping through the cabin now but Madara's body still felt heavy.

He tore the letter open, realising it was from Izuna who was the only person besides him and Yukiko who could use Hoshi as a messenger bird.

He read it through a few times before laughing to himself and nudging Yukiko awake.

"Hm? What's going on?" she asked dazed from her sudden awakening.

"We have to go make assignment plans," Madara hissed, getting up and throwing the letter down at her.

"What? Where?" she slowly read the letter, yawning as she did so. "Yugakure?" she looked up at him.

"Yup, Yugakure, we can pick up some decent weapons there as well," Madara confirmed. It was true there were a few good blacksmiths in the resort village but that wasn't what she knew it for.

"That's the village famous for its hot springs? I mean they're so good that they actually built a settlement around them!" she exclaimed with a smile. He rolled his eyes.

"I hardly think that'll be of any use, we're going to make battle plans not to be pampered," he scoffed.

"Oh no, Madara-sama, think about how good your body will feel after a relaxing bath in one of those famous hot springs. You may even be able to fight better than before," she explained, jumping up.

"You're actually excited about a pool of hot water? Go have a bath like a normal person and save your dignity that way," he snatched the letter from her, baffled by her sudden enthusiasm.

"It's not just a pool of hot water, it's a pool of natural hot water with really good medicinal value," Yukiko corrected.

"Are you a medical-nin?" the Uchiha asked.

"No,"

"Then you have no need to be interested in something like medicinal value of hot water," he retorted with a smug grin. "Why do you care?"

"I love water but I hate snow. The Land of Hot Water has lots of water without the snow," she clarified.

"That's a stupid reason and like I said before, we're going to make battle plans, not get pampered," he repeated himself slowly, watching the disappointment on her face.

The first time he'd seen her honestly excited about something that wasn't…well…and he'd crushed it.

As if to make up for it he pulled her close, kissing her gently.

"If you want to get excited about something, get excited about the fact that with another battle I'll become even more powerful," he growled in her ear.

"And then what?" Yukiko asked, her voice weary now.

"Then, I'll simply rule the world,"

"Simply?" she had a sceptical look on her face but if anyone had a shot at ruling an entire world she had her money on Madara, mainly because not many other powerful shinobi would want the hassle. However she'd learnt Madara loved to dream big and perhaps there was nothing wrong with that.

"_Very simply,_"

* * *

><p><strong>Am I the only one who thinks that at the end of this chapter those two were acting kinda...coupley? And Atsuko and Izuna. Still don't know if that's going to happen yet. XD <strong>

**Poor Yukiko though! Madara is so mean! -.- Let her go to the damn hot springs you...bastard. Yea I know that hidden villages didn't exist at this point but it's not a ninja village yet and I need them to go to a damn village. **

**Question! What's going to happen to Yoshi now? And what went on with Madara when he blacked out? XD I think I remember something like that happening before in this story and there was a common link. **

**Next Chapter Title: If The World Stops Turning, Girl, You Better Not Stop When I Say!**

**It's from Madara and Yukiko's theme. :) Faint of Hearts. I've used it in a chapter title before but shhhh  
><strong>


	21. If The World Stops Turning, Girl

Evening all! :) I've been working hard again. (Yay for me!) This chapter is filled with fillery goodness but I implore you there is still plot here! I wonder if anyone actually reads these. Fine, we'll see. I've been watching Raising Hope lately.

"I'm here to tell you there's a sexual predator in this neighbourhood...Yea...It's me," :) I love that show

Chapter Title: Faint of Hearts by Coheed & Cambria. I love them X3

Disclaimer: I'm watching my best friend decorate a cardboard spaceship with flowers. This clearly tells me I don't own Naruto. :) Just my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-One<strong>

**If The World Stops Turning, Girl, You Better Not Stop When I Say!**

It would take Madara and Yukiko four days to reach Yugakure. She was content though, watching Hoshi flying above them as they wandered across the Fire Country.

"Your country is so much nicer than mine," she laughed quietly, enjoying the vast green landscape as they passed a large area of fields for crops.

"Hn? I never spent too much time in yours. I remember it's a treacherous place though, your weather isn't to be taken lightly," he replied, not a single ounce of that condescending tone he usually used. To Yukiko, Madara seemed happy as well but probably because the Council weren't breathing down his neck all the time now.

"Maybe, we knew secret passes to go through to avoid sudden blizzards and heavy downpours though. I hated that place though, I hated its sense of iciness," she stated, glancing at a road sign posted at a crossroads. "We're nearly at an outpost town,"

"We're also nearly at the border of the Fire Country. We'll carry on tonight," he ordered, Hoshi swooping down onto his shoulder.

"Madara-sama, I was hoping we could rest," Yukiko requested nervously, running forward a few steps to catch up with him.

"It's always good to have hopes, Yukiko, but they very rarely come true in your case," Madara joked, the bird snapping his beak at her.

"Owl," Yukiko pointed out.

Madara turned to face her, puzzled. "Did you just call me an owl?"

"No, there's an owl come towards us," she pointed upwards, where there was, indeed, an owl diving down towards them.

"That's Izuna's messenger," he explained, holding his arm out to the bird.

An owl seemed befitting for Izuna, she wasn't sure why but it just seemed to be a good image. The calm hunter of the night, hidden among shadows but just as deadly as the majestic hawk.

The owl landed on Yukiko's shoulder instead, hooting at her. "The letter is for me," she stated, taking the envelope from it before it flew off. "And it won't even wait for a reply," she tore it open, laughing softly to herself as she read it.

"What?" the Uchiha asked testily.

"Hm? Oh nothing. It's just a thing between me and Izuna-san," she replied, smiling and stuffing the messenger bag she'd brought with her to carry some changes of clothes.

"Don't test my patience, Yukiko," Madara warned, the pair continued walking though.

* * *

><p>Four days later and they arrived at the dusty village of Yugakure. The ground covered with red dirt, the town was bustling with life as there was an air of excitement all around.<p>

"I really do love it here," Yukiko sighed to herself. She used to come to the village for holidays with her parents. She could almost hear her father's boastful laughs at how much more soothing the water of their settlement was compared to the hot springs of Yugakure. She could see how much her mother used to smile and laugh back then as well and the smell of lavender oils from the Hot Water Daimyo's home.

"Come, we'll report to the Daimyo, I want to get this assignment squared away," Madara ordered, he still seemed in a good mood but now he was down to business.

"Perhaps you should do it alone, I need to pick up some supplies but I'll be at the Daimyo's palace soon," Yukiko promised, remembering the letter in her bag suddenly.

"Hn, give me Kiyoshi then," this, she had learnt, had become his new way of making sure she wasn't going anywhere. It was pointless though, she could bring Kiyoshi back to her anytime she wanted to but it was more a show of faith and she was willing to play along.

"Alright, tell the Daimyo I'll be there to speak with him later, by dusk actually," she laughed before handing her sword over.

"You're on good terms with him?" Madara questioned, curious by her casual nature about the lord.

"Somewhat, it'll make sense later," Yukiko ran off down to the marketplace leaving Madara with a confused look on his face before he headed to sort out his latest assignment.

* * *

><p>Yukiko wandered through the stalls, investigating everything. It didn't feel like December at all but then again the Land of Hot Water enjoyed warm weather throughout the year, the summer time bringing tropical storms with it that soaked the land and reinvigorated the soil for crops once more.<p>

She picked up some apples, content to eat them while she wandered and checked how much money she had. She'd taken her purse from her home which was filled with...a considerable amount of money.

It was tough trying to think, eat and take into account everything going around her but she hadn't been surrounded with so many non-ninja people in a long time and the things she was hearing from them made her laugh.

She pulled out the letter from her bag to read through it once more.

_Yuki-chan! ^_^ _

_How's it going? I forgot to mention this but it'll be Madara's birthday on the 24th of December. I was just thinking it was something you'd like to know ;)_

_Buy him a present! He'll be 22, you know how it's like...22..._

In all fairness she was 21 so she didn't know what it was like.

_I was just thinking, it might make him smile. I'm usually the only person to give him a gift personally. I mean sure our clan do but out of honour and all. It might be nice to get something special. _

_Have fun finding something he'll like!_

_Your superior office_

_Izuna Uchiha _

Yukiko wasn't sure why he had made a point of saying he was superior to her. It wasn't like Izuna to pull rank but she had an inkling that he meant it more as an order for her to buy something for Madara.

She was stumped though. What sort of things did he like? She knew his favourite food but doubted he'd want food. She only had today to get it as well so there was nothing she could make in that amount of time.

"Something useful," she muttered to herself. Yes, that was something he'd appreciate. Something of actual value to him, something he could use. She had an idea.

* * *

><p>Madara sat in the Daimyo's office, peering at the extensive book collection the man kept. The walls were lined with large bookcases and all of them tightly packed with books on everything conceivable. From ninjutsu to food, weather to science and even history of various clans, including the Uchiha.<p>

Keiji Osaka was a young Daimyo, striking long blonde hair and kind hazel eyes. He had a pair of glasses as well, presumably all of his reading had damaged his eye-sight somewhat. He was quite notorious for being a very calm and reserved peaceful man.

"Ah, Madara-san, I'm glad you came as quickly as you could. I was quite worried," Keiji said as he walked into the room, his voice was quite quiet.

"There was a matter you wanted to discuss in person, I hardly thought it'd be good manners to take my time," Madara pointed out. Keiji looked a little lost and baffled for a moment.

"Hm, that's how ninja work I suppose. There's no need to have quite the serious expression though, Madara-san. I mean, it can wait till New Years at the very least however I'm glad we can get this resolved before then. And there's no need for an army either which saves money and precious supplies and rations on your end," Keiji explained, sitting behind his desk and peering into a book he seemed to have left open. He smiled gently as he tenderly closed it.

"Yukiko Ginhana is with me as well, she's out right now but she said she'd be here by dusk," the Uchiha added. The Daimyo looked at him for a moment then smiled.

"Ah, so she did come with you. That's good, that's very good. You'll work together on this then! That's even better!" he laughed softly, grinning. He seemed genuinely pleased by this news.

"You know Yukiko well then?" Madara asked.

"Hm? Well we've met a few times on family occasions," Keiji stood up again, opening the door to his office. "Hisano, come here,"

A white haired woman walked in, the same red eyes as Yukiko as well. She was taller though, her hair in a tight bun and she, too, was wearing glasses. She was wearing a loose deep purple top and long wavy skirt which seemed to hide away her figure.

"Madara-san, this is my wife, Hisano Osaka,"

_A relative, perhaps?_

"Ah, you seem puzzled. I'm from the Ginhana clan, in fact, my niece is Yukiko Ginhana. I'm her father's younger sister," Hisano added. She even shared the same kind yet authoritative tone.

"You look very similar to her," was all Madara could manage. Hisano turned to her husband.

"Perhaps we should let Madara-san settle into his room, my dear. We can discuss our situation with him over dinner when Yuki gets here,"

* * *

><p>The palace was the same as Yukiko remembered it. It was nowhere near as vast as the Water Daimyo's. It was situated on a hill with stone walls surrounding it.<p>

She walked up the winding path, peeking through the tiny windows intended for arrows to fly through. It was nicer in May, when the cherry blossoms would painted the path pink, swirling gently in the breeze.

Yukiko reached the gates, being let in immediately and making her own way into the dining hall where she was informed to go by a guard at the front doors.

Madara was the only one present though and his good mood seemed to have taken a slight blow.

"Madara-sama, how did it go?" she asked, kneeling beside him.

"Hn, you could've told me you were related to a Daimyo," he hissed.

"I'm not though, I'm related to the wife of a Daimyo. Also, you've never asked me about my life so there was no time in which I needed to say it. I'm very sorry though, perhaps I should've told you..."

"Yuki!" Hisano and Keiji entered the room, both seemed much happier and more relaxed now.

"Aunt Hisano, uncle Keiji, how've you been?" Yukiko asked, an honest smile on her face for a change.

"We'll discuss that later, my dear, didn't you want to talk about the situation now?" Hisano quickly asked her husband. Keiji nodded as the two sat at the table.

"We've got a bit of a...rebel problem. I'm terribly ashamed to admit it but it's true. Unfortunately some of the people of this country aren't happy with me, they seem to think I don't defend our country and spend all my time in my library reading books. I would never endanger my people to fuel my quest for knowledge however there's a small rebel force brewing south of Yugakure. It's not far at all really, a short walking distance yet if I don't deal with it surely they'll just confirm their ideas, quite the puzzle actually," Keiji explained with a weary look on his face.

"You're paying us to eliminate a small rebel force?" Madara inquired, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, don't you think it'll instil good faith if we were to show we have made contact with a ninja of your calibre, Madara-san?" Hisano interjected with a polite smile.

"I can see how that works and it hardly seems taxing," the Uchiha shrugged, glancing to Yukiko who had stayed strangely quiet the whole time.

"We could do it the day after tomorrow?" she suggested suddenly.

"I'd rather get it done tomorrow if we must, it saves wasting time but we'll talk about that later, Yukiko," he snapped. She opened her mouth to counter him but then smiled instead.

"If you say so, Madara-sama,"

The rest of the meal didn't do anything to improve his mood and Madara quickly left the room soon after.

"Yuki, what're you doing with a man like that?" Hisano sighed, shaking her head.

"I'm not doing anything with...Erm," she realised what she was saying and looked away, blushing.

"Ah! I knew it, I'm a lot more like Nii-san than you give me credit for!" her aunt scowled, but then laughed.

"It's not anything like you're imagining, auntie. I'm so happy to see you though..."

"It's been insane, hasn't it, my sweet?" Hisano moved to sit beside her niece hugging her. "But you did all you could. These things happen, have you seen the world we live in these days?"

"All...All I want is peace like father wanted," Yukiko held in her tears.

"Silly dreams, that's all those are,"

"Strange, you're not the only person to say that about peace lately," the young Ginhana pointed out, remembering Izuna's words to her.

"That's because it's true. I suggest you go see that man of yours,"

"It's not like that at all, auntie. He's just a friend..." Yukiko pulled away, looking down at the floor. "You're right, I've got to go," she blurted out, running out of the room.

"Maybe they are just friends," Keiji joked. His wife gave him a sly smile.

"I doubt it, my dear. But if you want to believe it's like that then by all means,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko wandered up to the room she'd been told Madara was in taking in a deep breath before knocking on his door.<p>

"Come in, Yukiko!" he shouted from within. The beast was dangerous in this sort of mood, she knew that much. She slowly made her way into his room. He was sat on the window ledge, arms folded, Sharingan trained on her. He'd been waiting for her apparently.

"Madara-sama, I'm very sorry I didn't tell you about my uncle," she began, bowing to him.

"You think that's what I'm annoyed about? Interesting..." he scoffed, causing her to look up at him.

"Then what's wrong?"

"You and my brother are at it again," he growled, moving off the window ledge and making his way over to her.

"I'm very sorry, I can tell you what's going on in..." she looked passed him. "An hour and a half," Yukiko smiled gently.

"I'm keeping a very close eye on you, Yukiko, and you know full well," he took another step, entering her personal space as his chest was gently pressed against hers "Nothing escapes my eyes. Actually your uncle works in my favour," he pointed out.

"You think you can influence him easier because of your connection with me?" she asked, trying hard not to make eye contact with him but she so desperately wanted to look at him, to see that glorified majesty that was Madara Uchiha. He tilted her head up, a finger beneath her chin.

"Actually, I do. As you can tell my reputation now precedes me now," Madara purred.

"Hm? Why is that a good thing? You're hardly the type to worry about fame, Madara-sama," Yukiko asked, his actions seeming strange.

"Because the more we're known, the more missions we'll receive. The Senju aren't as prepared for war as we are, Yukiko, we can eat away at their defences the more battles we're thrown into with them," Madara was a genius, a tactician and a fantastic warlord. All of these qualities made him a terrifying man however she couldn't help but admire him as well. She had nothing he had. She didn't have the drive to go into battles as much as he did and she had never had the resources. Her plans weren't nearly as well thought-out and while she wasn't average in terms of intelligence she was by no means a genius.

However Madara's greatest quality was his own self-assurance. He _knew _he was all these things and so much more and he was willing to use every last fibre of his being to achieving his goals for his clan. And she absolutely hated to admit that he could. He could lead the world. He could probably, in a terrifying way, achieve peace as well. Madara Uchiha could crush her allies and probably would one day. The same man who stood before her was all these things.

"Madara-sama, if you don't mind me I think I'll go wash and be back in here in..." she checked outside again "An hour and twenty minutes to tell you all about what's going on," she smiled and left.

Madara wasn't sure what to do. He was exhausted and confused, walking back to the bed and picking up Kiyoshi from it.

"This sword...did something," he muttered to himself, unsheathing it.

Suddenly the world started to blur again...

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko lay sprawled on the bed of the room she'd been in before but clearly this had been while she was away as her hair was dyed black, her fingers idly tracing circles on her exposed midriff. <em>

_"Madara-sama..." she whispered, closing her eyes and rolling onto her front as she grabbed her pillow to hug. "What're you doing right now? Shouting at Izuna-san? Training with him and the others? Locked up and doing paperwork? And what am I doing? Sitting here and idly muttering to myself about a man who slaughtered my clan...Oh, Kiyoshi, what am I doing?" she shouted suddenly sitting up and throwing the pillow at a nearby wall. _

_She sat like that for a while, glaring at the sword before sighing. _

_"He could be with Raimei...According to Izuna-san, Madara-sama is supposed to be engaged to her but he doesn't seem that keen on the idea of being near her at all. Maybe I'm just reading it wrong though. Maybe it was because I was around he seemed to annoyed," _

**_"Stupid woman. Why must they all have the same foolish thought pattern?" _**_Madara muttered to himself, glancing around the room. _

_"I can't help it, Kiyoshi...I actually think..." _

* * *

><p>"Madara-sama!" Yukiko's concerned yell pulled him out of the memory as she ripped Kiyoshi from his hands and threw it across the room. "Madara-sama, are you okay? That's so dangerous," she snapped. Angry...was she honestly angry at him?<p>

"It's not the first time..." he groaned, he felt dizzy, just had he had done before.

"You don't know anything about Kiyoshi, why would you...?" she trailed off, a sad look in her eyes for a moment. He realised he was lying on the floor of the room he was staying in, he'd fallen apparently, his head felt sore. "Kiyoshi is the relic of my clan, the sword which holds the memories of all who wielded it before but he's also a trickster. Without Ginhana blood, he can overwhelm and implant memories into your mind and...in some cases, he can cause you to lose yourself to blood-lust," she hurriedly explained before glaring at the sword on the floor.

"The resin and the blood in the bottle. Is that a collection of the blood from all its previous masters?" Madara asked, slowly sitting up.

"It is. Kiyoshi needs an offering of blood to be able to use its full powers to its master," Yukiko answered, her grip on his high collar loosening slightly. "I'm sorry, Madara-sama, but please stop taking him from me. It's dangerous,"

"Tch, you apologise too much," he snapped. "Now what're you here for?" She looked at him, shocked for a moment.

"Madara-sama, it's been an hour and twenty minutes. I'm here to tell you something..." she smiled all of a sudden.

"Tell me something?"

Yukiko pulled him closer to her for a moment, her lips on his in an instant. She'd thrown him off completely, he wasn't quite sure how to react to the actual fact that she'd initiated this.

His hands found their way to her waist though, pulling her onto his lap. Her lips parted and his tongue delved deep into her mouth to tease out hers, but mostly he let her keep control, curious to see what she'd do with it. She was by no means forceful and yet at the same time she wasn't too gentle. She simply baited him, leaving him wanting more and at the same time keeping him satisfied.

She pulled away from him, laughing gently to herself as she reached on the floor behind her and handed him a katana. As he unsheathed it he realised, it was of amazing quality, unlike any he'd seen in the Fire Country. He ran his hand along the side of the blade. It was perfectly straight at the side and yet the blade's curve was also perfect. Along its side was his name and the Uchiha emblem.

Madara found himself uncharacteristically speechless and baffled. Yukiko laughed again, kissing his cheek.

"Happy birthday, Madara-sama," she whispered in his ear. Ah, now it made sense.

"Hn, it's that time already?" he asked, chuckling at the fact he'd lost track of dates so easily.

"Yes, it is. And it's Christmas Eve," Yukiko wrapped her arms around his neck and nuzzled into the nape of his neck. He sheathed the katana, finding himself almost glad she was being so warm.

"I suppose I must thank you for the gift," Madara admitted, he hated thank you's though. It implied he owed something.

"So formal, Madara-sama," she muttered, kissing his neck so tenderly he felt his heart beat quicken slightly.

"I'm not used to receiving gifts so...personally other than from Izuna," he said, running his hand through her hair and kissing just behind her ear.

"Not even from Raimei?" Yukiko inquired, trying to sound casual. He picked up on it though.

"Not even from her, although I'd decline anything from her anyway and she knows that," he reassured. For now, his attention was solely on the clan leader in front of him. His free hand running up her thigh.

"Hm," Yukiko didn't seem to care, she had her answer and that was the issue dropped. She lifted her head to look into his eyes again, his Sharingan gone replaced with the dark grey she vastly preferred. She kissed him again, this time with a bit more fire as her hands opened his shirt and slowly took it off while he did the same to her.

He placed his hands on her waist as his eyes fell onto her exposed chest, tentatively flushed against his own. Madara took control now, pushing her onto her back as his lips found her stomach. "I swear if another man so much as looks at you like I do..." his kisses slowly moving up to his chest as he growled to her. "I'll tear their eyes out and burn them..." his hands made light work of removing her shorts. "You're mine," he purred into her ear as his kisses finally reached her ear lobe, nipping it sharply causing her to yelp and flinch. "Come here," he dragged her up and without warning Yukiko's back was slammed against the wall.

She was confused by the possessive words he'd spoken though, moaning through heated kisses that only broke due to their desperate need to breathe. Madara quickly pulled her up against the wall and then grabbed the back of her thighs and roughly pulled her up to his height. He used his own weight to keep her there as he tore off the rest of his clothes.

Oh! What was it about Madara Uchiha? As his powerful body had her caged she felt her own go up in flames of lust. He seemed to do this to her so easily though. No other man could ever have done this to her. He stole her breath away and turned her blood to molten lava so effortlessly.

He forced her legs to coil tightly around him before sliding into her, enjoying that feeling of being sheathed by her once more. That sweet tightness, her gasps as he did so, all of it just seemed to enhance a pleasure he already had found in other women. But none of them were her.

Each time he roughly slammed into her she seemed to release such a sweet cry of ecstasy that was almost like a drug. He became more hurried, more frenzied, noting the way her hands ran up the walls trying to seek something to grip. He was rewarded with more moans and gasps though. The pair were both beginning to lose themselves though. Madara trying to desperately to cling to his own sanity for a change, it was an unfamiliar feeling to have someone else do this to him, to have them fill him with a seemingly uncontrollable lust despite what others thought.

He growled her name in her ear as his burst from her voice in broken pants. Finally her back began to arch, pressing against his body coated finely in sweat, her head slowly turned to the ceiling.

Madara could feel the muscles within her begin to become tighter and tighter around him, he placed one hand on the base of her back while the other grabbed one of her lightly bouncing breasts. His mouth found the pulse of her neck which he greedily sucked at.

"Ah...Ah...Madara!" her voice was becoming louder and louder as she desperately pressed even closer against his own, she felt as if he still wasn't close enough to her. All rational thought span out of her mind faster than she could comprehend, using her hands she pushed against him even harder and moaning even louder.

He gave what she was craving so obviously, pleading with him for him to pick up the pace. Madara did as he was told, his lover rewarding him with even more cries of pleasure until he felt himself completely lost. The world around them dissolved as they climbed higher and higher.

"Ah, Yukiko..." he snarled, biting down on her neck as he was desperate to hold himself in this world. But she quickly shattered it, screaming his name as she threw her head back and gave in to him completely, her walls grasping him sharply and forcing his release, groaning as he did so.

By the time their exhausted senses came back to them they had slid down to the floor. Madara pulled her gently onto bed with him, her back pressed against his chest.

"And again happy birthday, Madara-sama," Yukiko whispered. He laughed, leaning forward and kissing her cheek in an almost gentle way.

"Thank you, Yukiko. I think you can stick to just Madara for now," the Uchiha said, turning her around to their normal sleeping position, her hand gently resting on his chest.

"So what happens when Izuna-san gives you a gift on your birthday?" she asked playfully.

"Usually? I say thanks and then we go have a good sparring session,"

She wasn't surprised but the conversation needn't go any further. They were both tired, through their travellings and their session however Yukiko needed one last question answered.

"Are we friends, Madara?"

"Hm? I doubt it," he yawned.

"Lovers?" she persisted.

"Maybe, but for now we're sleeping, Yukiko," he growled, growing annoyed with her. She got the blatant message and the pair quickly drifted into a peaceful, dreamless sleep.

All the while a large Golden Eagle sat at the window, hooting once before setting off into the darkest night to return gladly to its owner.

* * *

><p><strong>Hm? Oh that Eagle, yea plot point. Starting to see some real progress with the romance stuff but erm, Madara and Yukiko aren't too keen on the idea yet. Ah well. I'm sure they'll grow to love each other. For now? It's naughty lemon smex. Yum. <strong>

**Soooo. Enjoy that latest installment. **

**QUESTION TIME: Who loves me? I'm joking. What do you think of what I've done to Madara's personality btw? I've asked about Yukiko, Kai and Izuna but never about my take on Madara. =/ **

**Next Chapter Title: Ignoring The Words Of Your Obnoxious Little Brother! **


	22. Words Of Your Obnoxious Little Brother

This chapter and the next one are actually connected. Originally I was going to have 22 and 22.5 but for now I'll keep it as 22 and 23. :) By the way the end of this has to be one of my favourite endings for a chapter.

Chapter Title: The Light & The Glass by Coheed & Cambria. Hm, why? Because it's the only song I've found that has aspects and points of views that I can put to each character in this so far. :D It's an epic song.

Disclaimer: Jam! Peanut Butter! Two things I own in my fridge. Neither are Naruto. :) I think that Yukiko and my other OCs have a spot in there though. I'm running out of weird ways to say I don't own Naruto!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Two<strong>

**Ignoring The Words Of Your Obnoxious Little Brother!**

Yukiko's eyes slowly opened as she woke up, hazy and her body aching. Although there was a cool breeze lapping at her naked skin.

Naked?

She groaned, grabbing the bedsheets to cover herself and at this point realising Madara was gone. Perhaps his kindness and gratitude from the night before had disappeared and he'd gone to cleanse himself of such human qualities.

She spied a set of clothes on the desk though and although they weren't hers they most certainly weren't his. Wrapping herself up in the sheets she got up and inspected them, finding a note on them.

_Yukiko, your clothes are so...horrid! You need to look nice for a man such as Madara. _

_So I've got you some new clothes, don't worry they're mine but I'll never wear them._

_Auntie Hisano_

While she had loved her uncle in the clan deeply, her aunt Hisano was her favourite relative besides her parents. She had a knack for making people smile and much like Isamu, she could read people's emotions to the smallest detail. She had been the aunt who would always get the best presents, make the best food at the right moment, give the best advice.

No one was surprised Hisano had ended up being a noble though. She had always had that air surrounding her that she was destined for something higher than staying within the clan. Apparently though, she'd struck gold and fallen in love with a man of nobility and a kind heart.

"If things carry on this way, I won't be so lucky," Yukiko muttered to herself as she got dressed.

It was a skirt and vest, simple but still very stylish and good enough that Yukiko could probably fight in them as well. The skirt was diagonally cut, the left side reached down mid-thigh then swooping across to the right where it reached the top of her knee. The vest matched in colour, a deep blue, the collar in a large V shape showing a little bit more cleavage than Yukiko would normally have been happy showing.

She sighed though, it wasn't like her to refuse a kindness especially from family. She opened the window to air the room, still holding that musky book smell of Madara. A large eagle circled the blue sky lazily.

A knock at the door pulled her attention from the bird though.

"Come in,"

Hisano walked into the room, still gently smiling although Yukiko could tell she was stopping herself from laughing.

"What's wrong?" the younger Ginhana asked, eyes narrowed.

"You're like Nii-san, you can't stand it when I'm happy! Nothing, my dear, enjoy your evening with Madara-san?" her aunt was failing miserably to keep a hold of herself though, sniggering.

"Huh? My evening with...Oh no I came in here to give him a birthday present!" Yukiko corrected, why did she feel like she was a child again?

"That was quite the loud birthday present he got," Hisano couldn't hold it in anymore, bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Loud...I..." she realised what her aunt was getting at, her cheeks flamed up in a red hue instantly. "That's not what I gave him, or rather...N-not what I intended,"

"You two...are friends right?" the elder joked.

"Evidently not. I don't know quite how this happened though..." Yukiko confessed with a shrug, trying to get rid of her embarrassment.

"No need to give me the cold treatment, Yukiko, my sweet. It was bound to happen eventually. Although I had my money on Daisuke-kun. Nii-san prayed it'd be one of the Senju though,"

"He never told me that!" Yukiko exclaimed, feeling hurt for some reason. "And what was bound to happen?"

"One day, Yukiko, you were bound to end up with a man. Be it for lust or for necessity or even arranged, you'd end up with one. Although...Madara Uchiha, really? I suppose they say opposites attract and you two couldn't be further apart. And there's a lot Nii-san didn't tell you, my sweet, don't take offence but I am his sister," Hisano explained, glancing out of the window for a moment.

"Do you know where Madara is, actually?" Yukiko asked suddenly.

"Yes, I do, he's asked to see me so I was on my way here to ask you to keep Keiji company. He has to go into town to look for a new book,"

* * *

><p>Madara had asked for permission to enter Keiji's infamous library, scouring the books for something in particular when Hisano appeared.<p>

"Madara-san, you wished to see me about something?" she asked, a pile of books in her arms.

"Hisano-hime, here," he grabbed the books from her, placing them on a reading table behind them before sitting on it. He wasn't polite, but he knew better than to be his usual self around the wife of a Daimyo, especially since he knew she was probably a kunoichi as well. "I'm trying to find out some things about your clan,"

"About Kiyoshi, perhaps? It is the only remarkable thing about our clan," Hisano suggested, pulling out a nearby chair and sitting down her hands gently folded in her lap. She'd been trained very well as a noble apparently.

"Your niece mentioned some things about it however in her usual fashion she only half explained things," she laughed softly at this.

"It's not that she means to irritate you, Madara-san. She's just the sort to keep her cards close to her chest. It's essential to a kunoichi to do this. In fact for all ninja to learn this basic skill. Kiyoshi...The sword of the Ginhana. He was named after his forger and the founder of our clan. Kiyoshi Ginhana was a master of a mind-reading jutsu and wished to create a blade that would be in harmony with the mind of its master. That blade turned into Kiyoshi. All it takes is the blood of it's previous wielders and the blood of the current leader of the Ginhana. He is temperamental though, being able to see into the mind of its master means it only takes to the leader of the Ginhana in an attempt to rejoin its forger," Hisano paused, studying his pensive expression.

"What happens if its wielder isn't a Ginhana? Me and my brother have both used Kiyoshi," Madara pointed out.

"Surely you must have no recollection of your time with Kiyoshi, if he took a particular fancy to you though he can show you certain memories from Yukiko and any previous owners. Yukiko can tap into this power to replay memories of her father, actually, which I suspect she does more than she'd admit. Did you see anything, Madara-san? Did you feel as though you were passing out but in fact you were actually fighting?" she asked, he shifted uncomfortably for a moment.

"Once, when I was in a fight, the first time I used it. The man I was fighting ended up with wounds I have no memory of causing and I did see when Yukiko first took Kiyoshi," he replied, he didn't like where this was going though.

"Ah, you must have felt as if you were actually there, surely? Judging by your bond with Yukiko, he must have felt you needed to see certain things that Yukiko will never show you," Hisano laughed again, thinking about Yukiko's reaction to her suggestions about Madara earlier that morning.

"Hisano-hime, did your niece ever make any suggestion she didn't want to be leader of the Ginhana?" he asked abruptly.

"Hm, so Kiyoshi showed you that. She quite often found it overwhelming. However, as much as I disapprove of your methods concerning wars, I accept that you may be able to show Yukiko a different side of life. One that doesn't mean she's got so much responsibility , I think she'd quite like that. Hm, actually maybe that's why she seems so fond of you. It must be a relief to let someone else take some of that burden for her," Hisano stood up and curtly left.

Having his questions properly answered, he got up and headed back to the room, finding the katana Yukiko had gotten him was on the desk. He sighed, unsheathing the blade to inspect it again. In truth, he loved it. There was something elegant about it and the care it had been forged with was impressive. He did wonder how much of this she'd planned for though, deciding she must have found the blade and then had the engraving done but still, the personal touch she'd added was unlike any gifts his clan would dole out.

And what had he said to her before this journey? That she couldn't do something she clearly had been excited for, that her hopes never came true. He growled quietly to himself. He wished people would just be distant from him, it would stop him from caring.

He placed the katana down and the Uchiha left, heading down to the centre of Yugakure.

* * *

><p>Izuna sat on Madara's bed, pouting.<p>

"What's wrong, Izuna-sama? Something bothering you?" the maid asked, cleaning Kibou's cage.

"I wanted to see Nii-san on his birthday, ah well, I've got him an awesome present this year," he boasted, pulling out a key.

"What's that for?" she leaned forward, studying it with great interest.

"This is a key, Atsuko. A very special key and only Madara and I know what it does," he explained.

"How did you get it?"

"I...stole it. From your father, it used to belong to our mother, Tsukiko. But for more stuff I'll have to wait for Madara to get home. No one does torture quite like my brother, don't you think?" Izuna joked, jumping up and grabbing Kibou. "Then again...No one does anything quite like Madara,"

"You miss him, don't you?" Atsuko asked, getting back to cleaning the cage.

"Miss him? Of course I do! I hate being away from him. He could be up to all sorts, you know. Recklessly running his mouth off or, even worse, going to fight without me. Dammit why do I have to be stuck here to take care of the Council and..." Izuna turned and glared at the person by the door. "And him!"

"Please, Izuna-kun, you think I want to be here? I'm simply here to make sure Yukiko keeps to her end of the bargain," Kai sighed.

"I don't trust you, Azuri!"

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you. But say someone like me were to take offence to such a comment as your brother probably would. You'd find yourself at quite the crossroads," the Azuri laughed.

"Oh I'm the offensive one? What about _your _brother?" Izuna snapped.

"And what of yours? He's done far more terrible things than Kouta did. He just makes it look good," Kai scoffed.

"Don't you dare talk about my brother that way!" the Uchiha growled, jumping forward to punch Kai.

"Izuna-sama!" Atsuko was quick to jump in the way though. "Please remember we're putting our faith in Yukiko-sama. She won't betray Madara-sama," she reassured. Izuna gritted his teeth and muttered that the maid was right.

* * *

><p>Dinner came and went and Yukiko hadn't seen Madara all day, she walked into his room finding no sign of life since he'd left except her present for him was unsheathed on the desk.<p>

She sighed, sitting on the window ledge and gazing up at the full moon. Ah, the moon, so mysterious and yet most people missed its true beauty. A ninja relied on it though, the darkness it brought with it was crucial for missions most of the time. She remembered a full moon while ago, the last one she'd admired. It had been the night she had been brought to the Uchiha.

A lot had happened since then and she was certain a lot more was going to happen. And she had yet to even hand the information over yet, she had toyed with the idea of giving it to him on his birthday but dismissed the idea as too important a thing to hand over on such a casual occasion.

Hadn't she offered herself as well? Madara had told her as much. No man was to look at her like he did? She laughed wondering if that meant they couldn't look upon her with scorn like he so often did. She shut her eyes for a moment to think.

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko clutched her bleeding eye. <em>

_"Dammit, Sora-san!" she spat, keeping her ice threads in place but she could feel their grip loosening, they weren't supposed to be used to hold down people the ice was too brittle for that. The ice shattered, Sora heading straight for her, clutching a broken sake bottle. Ah, that was what she was hit with. _

_He raised it up to strike her again, she moved to grab his wrist and attempted to disarm him. Yet she was punched hard in ribs, feeling a few crack under the pounding. She refused to move though, unwilling to allow him access to his bottle once again. He stopped punching her for a moment. _

_"Fight back, or aren't you a real leader?" Sora shouted his fist colliding with her jaw, sending her reeling back in back as she helplessly watched him prepare to hit her with the bottle again. _

_There was a sudden shuriken thrown with such force it smashed the rest of the bottle to unusable pieces. _

_Yukiko slid down the wall of the building behind her, panting and holding her eye in pain. _

_"Third rate...the whole lot of them. What a stupid excuse for a leader," she heard a voice say. It was a voice she barely heard though. _

_"I'm not a third rate for not attacking my own clansman!" she yelled, shaking as she got up. _

_"Whatever...Yukiko," Ritsuko sighed, shaking her head. "You still have so much to learn you naive fool. Go, Sora, touch my daughter again and I'll kill you!" she yelled. _

_Her white haired daughter muttered under her breath about pride and family. _

_"Shut up, Yukiko. You really think that you have time for this? I have no time for this! There's too much work to be done!"_

_"Oh calm down, darling, the girl needs to go see a medical team, clearly," Hisano suddenly appeared at the alley. Ritsuko scowled._

_"Hisano, I know how to take care of my own daughter!" _

_"Evidently and my Nii-san?"_

* * *

><p>Ah, Yukiko had yet to figure out why her mother and aunt had never gotten along. Although things had turned very sour indeed when her father had died. What would her mother have said about Madara? Her eyes fell back to the moon, silently commanding the sky, her attention was pulled back to the eagle she'd seen earlier. It was still circling the skies.<p>

Yukiko turned as the door opened, Madara returning once more.

"Madara, are you okay?" she asked, standing up properly and making her way over to him.

"I'm fine, I've just been busy. Unlike you, Yukiko, apparently you spent all day looking at books with the Daimyo while I've been making sure there are enough shuriken and tools for tomorrow," he snapped. "And then I had to get you something as well,"

"Excuse me?" a box smacked her in the head. It didn't hurt, but it was slightly demeaning. Yukiko picked it up, it wasn't large slightly bigger than her hand.

Madara moved past her, not wanting to see her reaction to his gift. She slowly opened it, peering inside before completely taking the lid off.

"Madara, you got me a gift...Is this a thank you?" she was silenced though. It was a silver bracelet. Tiny glistening chains holding an engraved plate with kanji across it. "Madara...This is..." she glared at him "Quite frankly slightly demeaning and at the same time..." she trailed off. A tiny smile on her face, and then a quiet giggle. "At the same time I love it,"

Madara turned around quickly, why that word?

"Thank you, Madara, that still sounds strange to say. Perhaps I can keep to Madara-sama for now, please?" she asked.

"Like I'd refuse that request. Now get to bed, you look tired and we've got to take out that rebel group tomorrow," he ordered, but not before receiving a hug from her and a tender kiss. Gentle...she was so...gentle when she tried anything with him. As though she was terrified if she pushed him too much he'd break. Yukiko had a lot to fear, but most of all she feared that his past would destroy his future. That somewhere along the line something terrible would happen and this man, this beautiful man with a foul temper but a lonely heart, would turn into some non-recognisable.

Because deep down, Madara felt just as alone as she had done when she'd led the Ginhana. There were plenty of people to order around, very few to talk to. But he had his playful little brother and now he had her as well. The pair settled down into bed, Yukiko looking at the bracelet on her wrist as it shone in the moonlight and ran her finger along the etched words.

_Property of Madara Uchiha_

* * *

><p><strong>I'LL EXPLAIN MYSELF! *hides* I wanted Madara to get Yukiko something as a thank you. So I was thinking a necklace but she already has the one her father gave her. So I remembered when I was in school we used to wear bracelet things on school trips with our school name on so if we got lost people knew where to take us back to. <strong>

**So I had a sudden thought about how Yukiko got away from Madara and his paranoia about her running off again. So I thought "Wouldn't it be great if she had a sort of collar that says she belongs to Madara if found please return," that turned into her snazzy new bracelet. **

**SO! What do you think of my bracelet idea? I laughed. XD I dunno about you. **

**Next chapter title: Kill Or Be Killed Spilled The Words From Your Mother**

**It's the next line in the song. XD Sorry but I did intend them to be connected that way! Love you all! **


	23. Kill Or Be Killed

Rawr, it is The Detective Prince. Here to give you your latest instalment of A Fresh Snowfall. When we left our heroes they were travelling the Land of Hot Water. Actually heroes is the wrong term. Perhaps...Madman and Albino Woman. :) Sounds like superheroes actually. ALRIGHT. I get it. -.-

Chapter Title: Same song as last chapter. The Light & The Glass by Coheed & Cambria. They're my favourite band, deal with it.

Disclaimer: I does not owneth Naruto. I dost owneth Yukiko, and her entourage. And the plot. Which is still going on! TRUST ME!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Three<strong>

**Kill Or Be Killed Spilled The Words From Your Mother!**

The sun rose gently over the Land of Hot Water. The land soaked in its amber hue. There had been a mild patch of rain, enough to leave the ground damp.

The two clan leaders wandered through the village and then down a road leading south.

The hawk above them scoured the landscape for oncoming shinobi however there was barely a sense of urgency from either of them.

"We're getting paid a lot for such a small pest problem," Madara muttered, mostly to himself.

"Does it make you wonder if there's more to it?" Yukiko asked quietly. He grunted in agreement. "I doubt it. Perhaps the reason you're being paid so much, Madara-sama, is in part because of me,"

He couldn't disagree with this point. They were being paid the same amount as a small battle in a war and yet from what they'd gathered this was nothing more than a small rebel force causing mischief.

"I hope none of my money went on those new clothes of yours," he growled suddenly. Yukiko laughed at the notion she'd need his money for such things.

"No, they were given to me by my aunt. Madara-sama, what will you do about the Council now?" she asked, giving voice to the thoughts that had been plaguing her.

"That's my concern, for now we'll focus on this mission,"

"Perhaps we shouldn't!" Yukiko interjected, Madara shot her a disapproving look.

"Excuse me?" he stopped walking, towering over her suddenly.

"Perhaps we shouldn't, we could go and sort out the Council, Madara-sama. I thought it was a more pressing issue," she explained, her heart pounding. That fear was back.

"This is a small job, we'll get it done and be heading back to the Stronghold later today," Madara told her, meaning each word. She fiddled with her bracelet.

"I just have a bad feeling that's all, can we speed up then? I wouldn't mind going back to the Stronghold,"

* * *

><p>Kai sat in his cell; Izuna and Atsuko were apparently busy so he was stuck there until they came to let him shadow them again. While he didn't like the Uchiha at all he found being stuck in the same room for hours even worse and his chakra was being suppressed as well.<p>

He was blind essentially, having always relied on his abilities as a sensor to see and hear things for him. The nights had seemed more terrifying.

However it was the nearly a week since Yukiko and Madara had left. That was the only thing keeping him in high spirits.

The time was coming.

* * *

><p>The rebel camp was small, there were probably about 200 men and Madara had taken out more alone. With Yukiko by his side this would be easy, untrained rebels were nothing compared to the skill of a clan leader.<p>

The pair moved into the still camp. Nothing was moving at all, it almost made him wonder if it was abandoned.

"Yukiko, stay silent, follow my lead and we'll take out the higher-ups…"

"I'm afraid this is as high as you go, Madara." An arrogant voice announced. As Madara turned he saw Yukiko had a pained expression on her face and a tanto through her abdomen.

This had been a set-up all along.

"Dammit, Kai…" Yukiko growled, turning to the hooded figure. He withdrew the blade; she fell to her knees clasping her stomach.

"You bastard!" Madara snarled, grabbing the nearest weapon he could find and launching at Kai, several Azuri rushing out of tents to join the fray.

"Madara-sama!" she cried, weaving her ice threads to keep an eye on the situation.

One, two, three, four, five…How was he doing this? Five Azuri dead already and still fighting Kai as well!

She went to draw Kiyoshi and found her sheath was empty; Madara had grabbed it on his way to Kai and clearly neglected his own on his back.

The Ginhana dragged herself up onto her knees and took out several shuriken, the only thing she could do now was go on the defence.

She threw several shuriken at oncoming Azuri, taking out several of them by this method alone. And then, as a group of ten came towards them she got brave and weaving several hand signs.

"Ice Style: Rising Thorn jutsu!" large spikes of ice jutted out of the ground, skewering several Azuri with ease. "Madara-sama," she coughed, blood dripping from her mouth. "Let's go!" she ran forward grabbing Kiyoshi in his hand.

* * *

><p>Izuna sighed, getting in from training and walking down to the dungeon to see Kai. Atsuko was standing at the door of his cell looking flustered.<p>

"What's wrong?" he asked with a laugh but the concerned look on her face had him puzzled.

"I'm not sure, Kai's escaped but…Perhaps you'll know more about this, Izuna-sama," she explained, he poked his head into the cell finding a small wooden doll on the floor.

"How far is Yugakure?" he suddenly asked, turning around and heading back up to the fields.

"4 days away, if he's heading there then there's no way we can reach him in time. He may have already found Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama,"

"No, Atsuko. This is a planned assault. He had this sorted from the start, the only question now is was this set up by Yukiko or not?" he sighed, needing to sit down and think this through.

* * *

><p>"Let go, Yukiko, I'm dealing with this bastard once and for all!" Madara snarled, his eyes never leaving Kai.<p>

"Perhaps your lover has a point, Madara, you should go. Before I take down the legendary Madara Uchiha and then your clan's reputation will crumble…More than it already has," Kai teased, casually flicked an unruly lock of hair behind his shoulder.

"There's about 200 Azuri on route here, there's no way we can deal with that many Azuri and no doubt they'll bring others…" Yukiko was cut off by persistent coughing of blood, falling to her knees and realising she was bleeding more than she'd thought.

"Stay here and kill me, Madara, or leave here and save her life," Kai proposed, a smug grin appearing on his lips.

"What the hell are you talking about? What is the point of this?" Madara yelled, drawing his own katana at last.

"Leverage, and money. The only two things a clan needs, if I have at last found a way to subdue the beast, I'll get the clients the Senju has. I just used this as an experiment," the Azuri explained.

"You really think I can't do both of those things? I can kill you and be gone from here in 2 minutes," the Uchiha growled. He didn't want to do it but he'd have to use his powers and then escape. And he _hated _running away. But Kai was right. The Azuri were real shinobi, not feral rebels. He'd been too hasty to deal with the Council.

Kai raised an eyebrow. "She's dying, Madara, I suggest you start to make a decision," he laughed.

"I'm fine! And I'm fed up with your talking!" Yukiko shouted, transforming Kiyoshi into a large tiger. She stood up, trembling and clutching her stomach. Kiyoshi lunged forward, taking a swipe at Kai who leapt back but the tiger kept on him, not giving him room to attack.

Madara saw his own opportunity though, jumping forward and aiming a punch at Kai, there wasn't enough time to dodge both at once. Kai took the full force of the blow from the Uchiha leader.

He turned and grabbed Yukiko's arm.

"See you soon," he whispered, a whirl of wind taking her back to that grey world once more.

He then turned to Kai and Kiyoshi. "Sword, you stall him for now," the tiger roared, seeming to not want to be separated too far from its master. "Do it or she dies," another roar. "Just kill him." Madara ordered, using the body flicker technique to make some distance between the Azuri and him.

Kai glared at the fleeing Uchiha.

"Tch, he actually got away with both," he grumbled. "Perhaps…Madara Uchiha isn't the Beast. He's the one who commands his own destiny. Damn that man," he looked at the growling Kiyoshi. "What the hell are you looking at, kitty? You wanna follow him?"

The tiger leapt onto Kai, letting out a terrifying roar in his face and raising a paw up to strike the Azuri's chest a moment of fear flickering in the icy blue eyes before him.

Kiyoshi growled and ran, following Madara and in turn, Yukiko.

"A sword closely bonded with its wielder's own heart…I stabbed you right through, fox. Yet you want me to live…Maybe you're more sadistic than I thought. You'll let Madara deal with me then? I hope for your sake he doesn't lose his interest in you," Kai whispered to himself as he slowly got up from the ground. "Although that was an interesting experiment, you surprised me,"

* * *

><p>Pain…Now the adrenaline from the battle was gone her whole body was raked with a searing pain. Yukiko cried out to the nothingness, holding her still bleeding abdomen.<p>

The blood seemed never ending bringing back horrible memories of her eye injury. She didn't even recall them; she was in too much pain to do so anyway.

"Madara-sama…Please hurry up!" she screamed.

* * *

><p>"There's got to be one medical nin around here," Madara muttered, running through a nearby outpost.<p>

A silver owl landed in front of him, tilting its head.

"Dammit I hope this means Kai is dead," he growled, the bird stretched its wings and hooted.

"I don't speak bird, I don't have time for this!" he stormed past Kiyoshi who flew up, following him and frantically hooting. "If you don't want her dead I suggest you shut up!"

Kiyoshi shut his eyes for a moment, trying to think of something from Yukiko's memories he could use, finding a good idea he swooped down, pecking the locket off of Madara's neck and flying away with it in its mouth.

"What the…DAMMIT GET BACK HERE!" he shouted, running after Kiyoshi who was flying low down to make sure it didn't lose Madara. It led him out of town and then down a path to a small hut. "Where the hell is this?" Madara asked Kiyoshi, glancing up at the owl.

The owl ignored him, landing in front of the door and pecking at the handle.

"This had better be important," Madara opened the door, revealing it to be a small home with a lot of medical supplies thrown over a table in the corner. "Is this somewhere she used to live?" he asked, mainly to himself.

Time was of the essence though, he undid his jutsu and Yukiko was lying on the small futon in the other corner of the room.

"I'd rather a trained medical nin did this but we can't waste anytime," Madara explained to Yukiko, who was drifting in and out of consciousness

"Madara-sama…" she groaned. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"Somewhat, I've had a wound like that a few times before. After this though you'll be staying at the Stronghold whenever I leave," he sighed.

"No, I need to help," she moaned, reaching her hand out to him. "It's all I can do,"

"You can stay at the Stronghold and do my paperwork for me while I'm gone," he replied, picking up a clean syringe and filling it with anaesthetic. "Now shut up, I'm busy, woman,"

Madara leaned over her, tying a piece of fabric around her arm and injecting the drugs into her vein. He turned to pick up a tube which was handed to him by the owl.

"Tch, I hardly consider you to be sterile," he grabbed another bottle, this time a disinfectant and flushed the wound with it. A few stitches on the entry and exit wounds and he'd bandaged her abdomen and turned his attention back to the bird and grabbed a brush and blank scroll.

"Here, at least make yourself useful," he scrawled a note to Izuna and threw it to Kiyoshi. "Take that to my brother, be quick about it as well and come straight back here," he commanded, the owl hooted and flew out of the window.

Madara sighed and shook his head, his ego had been wounded at the thought of fleeing from battle in front of Kai but he'd hardly had a choice. He sat down next to Yukiko who was muttering in her sleep like usual.

The Council…He had a chance to think about what he was going to do about them. How would he explain to his army that they had been led by power-hungry lunatics and that he was much better? Could he justify his actions if he were to kill them?

He'd find a way, he had to. It was the same mentality he'd had when raising Izuna that there was no choice other than to find a way to deal with it.

Like he'd found a way to deal with Yukiko as well. He had no choice but to keep her within his clan now, she knew too much about the Uchiha and it was hardly like she wasn't useful. He was so possessive over her as well that if she were to leave she'd go straight to the Senju and then…? He didn't even want to think about it. The mere thought of her marrying some Senju was enough to make his blood boil.

How would he justify that to his army as well? That some strange woman from a clan they'd wiped out was going to become his own assistant, possibly his third-in-command! He had no way of saying that without people coming to the obvious conclusion.

Madara was doing this because he couldn't stand to turf her out due to the fact that he and Yukiko were sleeping together.

They were lovers, no matter what his mind was trying to tell him he was growing more addicted to her, more overprotective of her.

She was his prisoner in more ways than one now. He could still remember her gentle laughs from two nights before, her warmth towards him, her smile as she proclaimed to love the bracelet he'd given her.

Perhaps in a way, they were both prisoners now.

Her crimson eyes barely opened for a moment, her hand touching his forearm. "Sleep," she whispered, a tiny smile on her lips.

"Don't give me orders, Yukiko. I'll do whatever I damn well please, I could take you in your sleep if I so wished!" he snapped, only to receive a laugh in reply.

"I'm glad you're not too upset about earlier," was all she said before falling back to sleep.

"Not too upset? Is that what you care about? Stupid woman! You're the one wounded, not me. You're so frustrating!" he growled, it was useless though. She couldn't hear him anymore. "Every time I take you on a mission with me, that bastard ends up wounding you. You can't just stay out of trouble!"

After all that arguing though, Madara gave up, getting up and leaving the small house to search the area for any following shinobi.

* * *

><p>Izuna ran up to the rooftop, sitting down as he reached the top and putting his head in his hands.<p>

"Would you like me to give you some peace, Izuna-sama?" Atsuko asked at the door.

"If you wouldn't mind," the maid nodded and disappeared.

Izuna staring up at the sky, thinking to himself about what his next action should be, he could go out to find Madara. He could stay and continue talking with the Council or he could try and figure out what was going on.

"Think, Izu, think. What would Nii-san do? Ah…He'd run off and find out what was going on but he'd want me to stay here," he muttered to himself. "Guess I'll have to stay here then,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko's eyes fluttered open, but instead of finding Madara in front of her she saw two icy blue eyes watching her.<p>

"Kai, what're you…" his hand covered her words as he urged her to stay quiet.

"That was dangerous, fox. Madara could've killed me," he teased, taking his hand away from her mouth.

"I wish he had, he won't stop now. Madara-sama is focussed on killing you," Yukiko replied coldly.

"Pfft, the more he tries to the more opportunities I have to do the same to him,"

"Don't you dare!" she yelled, sitting up as pain spread from her stomach forced her to lie back down.

"His life was never part of our deal. I was just to ensure when you give him your information…"

"I know what our agreement was!" she snapped, Kai was beginning to irritate her which was unusual.

"So angry…Where is that great protector of yours now? If my thoughts are correct he'll be leaving you a lot more now. How will you cope with that fear of yours?" he asked, laughing.

"Oh just shut up and leave. I've had enough of you for now. You could've killed me," she argued. Kai just shrugged.

"But you're not dead, are you? He saved you like usual…I did want to ask you something though. This fear…Did it come when your father died…Didn't he pass in his sleep?" with that Kai disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a shaking Yukiko with tears falling down her cheeks.

She turned over, burying her face in the pillow.

"_I'm so sorry, Yukiko-sama…Your father's dead…He…He passed in his sleep," _

Yukiko's eyes snapped open and despite the pain she got up and ran to the door, throwing it open and leaving. She had to find Madara. She didn't know why but everything within her was screaming at her to find him.

With her ice threads laid down she tracked him to a small lake nearby. She believed it was called Lake Orca.

He was sat on a rock, appreciating the view before him. A light but refreshing rain dripped down, the tiny droplets causing ripples all over the lake.

"Madara-sama!" Yukiko called, walking down towards him. He seemed surprised to see her though.

"What're you doing up? Go back before you cause more trouble for me," he barked, apparently his calm moment was ruined.

"Kai's still around, he actually just managed to have a word with me," she explained, sitting on the ground next to him.

"Yes well, I'll take you back to the Stronghold and then I'll be leaving for war. I hardly think it matters what he's doing now," Madara responded, watching her carefully.

"To war? You've got an assignment already?" Yukiko asked, looking at him astonished.

"No. This is a personal mission. Since you're awake we'll head back now,"

* * *

><p>Four days later, Madara and Yukiko reached the Stronghold. It was night time when they arrived however Atsuko and Izuna seemed to have known they were coming back and were patiently waiting at the gates.<p>

"Izuna, prepare the squads for tomorrow," Madara commanded as soon as they reached the waiting pair.

"Fine, I already got your message. There's food up in your room, I thought you'd need it," Izuna explained.

The Uchiha leader walked off, leaving Yukiko standing with his little brother who nudged her.

"What's wrong, Izuna-san?" she asked as he grabbed her hand and placed something into it.

"Nothing, Yuki-chan. You'll need this for while we're away," he laughed; she eyed him with suspicion as she opened her hand finding he'd placed a tiny key in her palm.

"What's this?"

"This is the key to knowledge. You'll need it while we're away, but you can not tell Madara you've got it. He'd be awfully mad at me if he knew. What I want you to do is…" he pulled her closer, whispering into her ear before laughing.

"Why?" She persisted.

"Why? Because it's fun! That's why!" Izuna exclaimed before the trio headed up to their respective beds.

Yukiko found Madara eating at his desk, scrawling something on a few pages as he did so.

"Kiyoshi!" she ran to the bed, picking her sword up and affectionately running her hand over the side of the blade.

"I asked your aunt about that Kiyoshi. It was quite the history lesson," Madara said suddenly.

"I see," was all she had as a reply. She'd suddenly become very tired, falling onto the bed. Their journey had caught up with her as she attempted to curl up only to find that pained her.

The Uchiha sighed, joining her on the bed moments later, holding her close. A part of him was glad she was so exhausted that she never questioned why he'd do this to her, a part of him wished she'd ask. And a very big part of him didn't want her to stay at the Stronghold while he was away at war but it seemed to be the only solution.

He'd put all his energy, when he'd first taken over, in ensuring the Stronghold was impenetrable. To make sure she had no more…incidents…she'd have to stay. She'd made it clear it was something she didn't want to do either though, feeling the need to fight.

Madara gave up thinking for the night, checking if she was asleep. Discovering that she was, he gently placed a kiss on her forehead. She was, after all, the object of his more secret affections, even if Yukiko Ginhana never even realised it at that point.

* * *

><p><strong>At time of writing I wish I'd named this chapter something from Welcome Home. Probably 'You weren't Honest Now Get In The Ground!" Oh well next chapter is from that song. :) <strong>

**I think Madara is pretty fed up now. He's just annoyed at EVERYONE. Mostly himself for running away but he'll make up for that next chapter. ;) **

**QUESTION! How long will it be before I run out of C&C songs to use for chapter titles? A while I think. If I could I'd go back and use their songs for every chapter. :) Now the actual question. Wanna make a guess about the deal between Kai and Yukiko yet? :) I love hearing theories.**

**Next Chapter Title: You Stormed Off To Scar The Armada! **


	24. You Stormed Off To Scar The Armada!

Yo! The arc begins here. Yes, to keep me on track I'm putting arcs in every now and again. The next 3 - 4 chapters will be inspired by one song called Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria. The arc itself is called Water, Ice and Azuri. :) It's a strange concept to base a series of chapters after one song but it's something that's kept me going, trust me and by the time you read this chapter I'll probably have just finished the arc myself. :)

Chapter Title: Welcome Home by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: My cat just came in and told me I don't own Naruto but that it's okay because I do own Yukiko and my OCs. Isn't she nice?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Four<strong>

**You Stormed Off To Scar The Armada!**

Yukiko woke up at dawn the next morning. Madara was standing at the window, a look of determination in his eyes.

"Madara-sama, you're leaving?" she asked with a yawn. He studied her expression for a moment.

"Yes, I'll be two weeks at the most, you're in charge until I get back," he answered, noticing the definite look of sadness on her face for a moment. "I've left a list of things to do in my office and I consider you get some training done, _your _squad won't be going," he added.

"My squad? Do you mean Genshi-san's squad?"

"No, I mean I've assigned him a new squad and they're yours now. Don't waste your time and don't accept it if anyone says you can't be in command here. I've had a stern word with them already, the only person you'll have trouble with is Raimei and that's easily sorted with a hard enough punch," he explained, grabbing his katana and tying it behind him.

"Madara-sama, your clan aren't going to readily accept all of this," Yukiko sighed, shaking her head as she got up.

"Not with that attitude they won't. Give them a reason to accept you, even if it means forcing them. I didn't become the leader of the Uchiha begging," he scoffed before pulling her by her waist closer to him. "Besides if you force someone to accept you, they tend to respond very well, I find," he teased.

"Not the Ginhana, you have to be gentle to them. They are Silver Flowers, Madara-sama. They need taking care of and kindness," she laughed, ignoring the pain in her stomach.

"Care and kindness? Really?" he asked, sceptical.

"Occasionally, a bit of water, some sunlight and not being left alone," she answered, a tinge of sadness in her voice again.

"Pfft, so petty. It's hardly left alone. You've got that thing," he pointed at the rabbit cage and then shrugged "And Atsuko will probably stick to you like glue,"

"Hm, I was hardly talking about you, Madara-sama," she pulled away from him. The coldness she was showing him suddenly pained him a little but angered him more than anything else.

"It's your fault. You're the one who can't leave this place without getting injured! Perhaps you should just train like I told you, consider it a goal to train towards. Now get back here," he grabbed her wrist and pulled her back to him. "I expect everything done in two weeks," he kissed her, softly at first but she seemed so clinging to his touch, her hands in his hair in an instant, pressing herself against him, that he couldn't help but respond with more fire and her parting lips welcoming him into her mouth.

He had to pull away before it went any further though, focussing on getting out of the Stronghold with his body unscratched by her.

"I wish you a fresh snowfall, Madara-sama," she whispered.

"What?"

"A fresh snowfall, it's something to wish for in my country. It signals good blessing through tough times. We wish fresh snowfall to each other on our way into battle," Yukiko explained, a tiny smile on her face. "I always wished it would never come,"

"Well, I hardly need the point of blessings. I'll win because I am far superior to the Azuri and that's all that matters on the battlefield," Madara boasted, the arrogant smirk returned. "I'll see you in two weeks, Yukiko,"

"I'll write," she muttered as he left the room. She moved over to the window to watch him and his army march away that pang of loneliness refusing to leave. "Kibou, what should we do? I've never been left behind like this before," she knelt down, picking up the rabbit from his cage and carrying him down to Madara's office where Atsuko was waiting for her.

"I'll warn you, Yukiko-sama, there's a lot of paperwork to get through," the maid greeted her with a bow.

"Good, I'd hate there to be nothing for me to do and it gives me a reason to start cracking. You can help by answering my questions about the Uchiha as well,"

* * *

><p>Izuna smiled at Madara, just looking at him for a while as they marched across the countryside.<p>

"What, Izuna?" he asked at last, glaring at Izuna.

"Nothing. Nothing at all. So, does Yukiko know what going on?" his brother with a smirk.

"No, she doesn't and she doesn't need to know. Is she really what you want to talk about?" the elder snapped.

"Hm? Maybe. I like to think that you can judge a man by the woman by his side you know," Izuna explained.

"You've got an overly submissive maid, do you really want to do this?" Madara laughed.

"Oh but I do, Madara. Tell me what's going on with Yuki-chan! I need to know! I am your brother, you're supposed to tell me these things," Izuna nudged him playfully.

"Do you even realise we're going to war?" Madara wasting his breath though. His brother was so desensitized to war and battle that he didn't even realise this was the sort of thing to be taken seriously until Madara was injured. "Nothing is going on, she's just doing work for me while I'm away,"

"Yea, but that sword is new. Let me see!" Madara rolled his eyes, unsheathing the sword and handing it to his little brother. "Oooh, impressive. Was this her birthday present for you?"

"One part of her present for me," the leader smiled.

"Oh it was _that _sort of birthday for you, well that makes up for my lack of present then I guess. Unless you'd like the same from me," Izuna joked, his brother responded by punching him in the arm.

* * *

><p>Yukiko sighed, when Atsuko said there was a lot of paperwork she clearly hadn't been joking. It was just orders for supplies, permission forms for special leave, training schedules and various smaller assignments that didn't need to go as far up as warranting Madara's attention.<p>

However when there's over 3000 people in a clan this was a mammoth task, she couldn't help but wonder how he kept on top of it all but as she checked dates on certain forms she realised the truth was coming out, he wasn't keeping on top of any of this.

Madara was dedicating himself to getting stronger but it came at a price. He was neglecting paperwork desperately. Perhaps she was needed after all. Her skills with sorting these things out with ease was essential to getting all of this finished.

Atsuko answered all her queries about various squads and who was good at what and all was going well until 3 hours in there was a knock at the door.

Raimei walked in, clearly annoyed at something.

"What's wrong, Raimei?" Yukiko asked, not being able to tear herself from what she was reading.

"A fight, it's your job to deal with it since you're in charge," Raimei answered, glaring at the white haired woman.

"Hm? Oh, you're right it is my job, isn't it? Well, can't that be your job while Madara-sama is away?" she suggested, hoping that if Raimei was helping her she wouldn't be around Yukiko enough to getting angry at her.

"No, Madara-sama said that you're in charge here. This is dealt with by whoever is in charge that's how it works with our clan," Raimei snapped.

"I'm actually in the middle of something, can you please..."

"I'll deal with it, Yukiko-sama," Atsuko interrupted. The maid glared at Raimei as she left though, angry she seemed to want to make Yukiko's time harder.

"Thank you, Atsuko," Yukiko called as she left. "Raimei, Madara-sama told me how to deal with you was a well placed punch but I doubt I'd ever do that to you,"

"Oh, well, you're clearly such a benevolent leader I must obey!" the Uchiha exclaimed sarcastically. Yukiko's eyes narrowed.

"I'm not a doormat, Raimei and I don't expect you to obey my every word but a little respect will get you a long way in my books. If you're here to make things difficult try to keep in mind I'm doing this for Madara-sama and that maybe you should realise that if you start obstructing the progress I make here it's him who suffers!" Yukiko snapped.

Raimei opened her mouth to protest before storming out of the room.

The Ginhana laughed, leaning back in Madara's chair feeling much more...confident all of a sudden. She hated talking down to people but accepted it had to be done to get the message across occasionally.

She started wondering if having control of the clan for a while wouldn't be too bad, that thought was stopped by the time she looked back at all the papers and scrolls around the office.

Yukiko gave a disheartened sigh and grabbed her brush, getting back to work once more and hoping she could finish all of this in time _and _train as she'd been instructed to.

She glanced down at her bracelet, smiling slightly and working once more.

* * *

><p>Madara and Izuna reached the Azuri settlement, the Azuri had sensed them coming all of them ready, weapons in hand.<p>

He raised his hand to stop his army from attacked as Kai emerged through the crowd.

"Madara Uchiha, I assume you're here to do to us what you did to the Ginhana. By all means try, I won't take this threat lightly at all. Say someone like me were to cross you, as I did so days before, someone like me would definitely prepare for such an event as thing. By all means, Madara, attack! Unleash your army upon us!" Kai shouted, taking out a kunai.

Madara looked at Izuna, laughing lightly.

Kai was thrown off by several explosions behind him, the houses lining the streets behind lit on fire.

"What the..."

Madara seized his chance, signalling his army to attack while he jumped forward punching Kai square in the jaw, the Azuri tumbling to the floor. Uchiha rushed past Kai, the world slowing as he stared up at Madara.

It was surreal, the world didn't quite seem real to him any longer. The powerful beast glaring down at him.

Terror, the first time in Kai's life he was terrified for his own life. There was no way he could possibly get out of this alive was there?

Kai had been betrayed. Yukiko had lied to him. So that had been her plan the whole time, to get him killed.

"Curse that Ginhana!" he shouted in panic. "That white haired bitch!"

"Yes, damn that white haired bitch and the genius she suppresses with her kind nature," Madara laughed.

* * *

><p>Yukiko sighed, her head on the desk.<p>

"Atsuko, I've done it! It's been a week and I've finally done it!" she cried out, letting the brush fall from her hand.

"You certainly did, Yukiko-sama, and look Hoshi is here!" Atsuko pointed to the window, the hawk flying onto the desk and dropping a letter. She tore the envelope open, it was from Madara of course.

_The Azuri are dead._

_I'm heading back to the Stronghold. I'm going to be 3 days. _

_Make sure everything is dealt with by then_

_Madara Uchiha_

"Hm, apparently everything went well. He's not the most emotive writer..." Yukiko said, getting up. "I need to figure out a way to sort these scrolls more efficiently next time. But I guess when people come in he snaps 'Just put that down and get out of my sight!' so...Ah!" she grabbed a plain piece of paper and wrote out a list of Atsuko. "Go get these for me, please!"

"Of course, Yukiko-sama," the maid bowed and left.

_Dear Madara-sama,_

_Thank you for the forewarning. I'll be sure to have everything prepared for when you arrive back to the Stronghold. I've just finished all of the paperwork however I'm sorting out a system for you. _

The brush was lifted from the paper, pausing for a moment.

_Yours truly_

_Yukiko Ginhana_

She sealed it and handed it back to Hoshi.

"Take care, Hoshi and fly safe!" she laughed letting the bird go before sighing.

Yukiko gazed out of the window, smiling gently to herself and shut her eyes. She was glad that Madara was coming back soon. The bed seemed dreadfully cold without his arms keeping her warm. The mornings seemed silent without his growls and orders. The evenings seemed slow without listening to him wishing death upon someone.

Madara Uchiha wasn't the most pleasant person to be around but he was by no means the worst and her life seemed slightly more empty without him.

All in all, she missed him. Yukiko hated to be left alone.

"_Your father's dead...He...He passed in his sleep..." _

She kicked the wall beneath the window and placed her forehead against the window sill.

"SHUT UP!" she shouted, gritting her teeth.

"Yukiko-sama, are you okay?" Yukiko jumped at the sound of Atsuko's voice, the maid pulling a small trolley behind her.

"I'm fine...I'm fine just a thought," she reassured beckoning the maid in. Yukiko stood up straight, taking a deep breath in. "Did you get what I asked for?"

"I did, why did you want these?" the maid asked, tilting her head as she laid the trolley in front of Yukiko.

"I'll show you," the Ginhana knelt down, pulling up a few of the planks of wood. She laid the largest plank on the floor then glueing the rectangle planks around it, making a box and then grabbed the brush painting the word ASSIGNMENTS.

"Oh! Sorting boxes!" Atsuko exclaimed, smiling.

"I thought we'd make a hole in the wall for each box and stick them half in half out. That way when Madara can't be bothered to have any social interactions then they can just put it in the half outside then he can pick it up in here, perhaps we should put it at an angle. Could you go get Hayate for me?" Yukiko asked, sitting on the floor and setting up to make another box.

"Alright, this actually seems like fun!" Atsuko laughed, running back out of the room.

Atsuko found Hayate at his usual guard post, outside Madara's room.

"Ah! Atsuko-san, you're looking happier than you have in a while!" he exclaimed, relaxing as soon as he saw her.

"Thank you, Hayate-kun, Yukiko-sama needs you," she grabbed the sleeve of his high coloured grey shirt.

"I presume this is some sort of joke between you two," he chuckled following the maid back down to the office.

"No, it's a special job, we're making holes in the wall, here," she pointed to the wall just to the left of the door.

"Why?" the guard asked before he was whisked into the office. Yukiko was busy applying the finishing touches to her last box saying PERMISSION FOR LEAVE.

"Ah, you're making sorting boxes and you need them in the wall," Hayate summised with a laugh.

"Yes, will you help us?" Yukiko asked, standing back to admire her four boxes. Assignments, request for supplies, Squad progress and her final one. She felt awfully proud for a moment.

"Oh, so you wish for me to break four holes into the wall of our Madara-sama's office? Absolutely not," Hayate declared.

"What? I...This has to be done, my plan..." Yukiko's lip quivered, her eyes watering slightly. "I mean...I put so much effort into making this office beautiful for Madara-sama so that maybe he'll fall in love with me...I...My love..."

"Yukiko-sama! If it means that much to you, I'll do it!" Hayate announced, grabbing the hammer and chisel from the box and setting to work on the wall.

"Yukiko-sama, you weren't really upset were you?" Atsuko whispered, as she leant down to pick up a box.

"Ha! God no, I wouldn't fall that far, I assure you. However, it did get Hayate working," Yukiko hissed, a cunning smirk on her face. "Let's just keep this up for now," she winked.

"Yukiko-sama, are you sure that this is a good idea?" Hayate asked nervously.

"Yes I am, just wait and see, Hayate. As Izuna-san would say, stick with me and it'll all work out,"

* * *

><p>"Home, Madara, are you sure you don't want to go to the infirmary?" Izuna asked, eyeing his brother's blood-stained shirt.<p>

"I'm fine. I just want to get to bed, some sleep will do just fine," Madara growled, storming through the corridors, taking his shirt off half way to his room so that by the time he got to his quarters he could just collapse in bed and sleep.

He threw the door open, noticing that despite it being about 2 in the morning the lantern was still burn.

"Yukiko?" he called, finding her sat on the bed waiting for him.

"Madara-sama, how was the..." her sentence trailed off, her eyes falling upon his wounded chest. She swallowed hard, standing up and making her way to him.

"It was fine. What're you doing awake?" he asked, eyes narrowed.

"I was...Curious to see how you were," Yukiko lied, her eyes never leaving his chest.

"What you've never seen someone with a few injuries!" he snapped. A few injuries was an understatement, he had gashes across his chest, three of them, each one in desperate need of stitching.

"Of course I have, Madara-sama, but I just..." she couldn't bear to finish her sentence.

"I understand, you..." he kissed her gently. "You were actually worried about me, but I'm Madara Uchiha, some petty Azuri aren't exactly going to any damage to me," he purred into her ear.

"I missed you actually," she muttered, he laughed gently. He felt better knowing she'd been thinking of him.

"And I heard that," he chuckled.

Yukiko looked away, blushed furiously. "It...was just because you caught me off guard," she stuttered. "You look exhausted, Madara-sama!"

"As do you, so perhaps we should sleep," he ordered, taking her hand noting that she was still wearing the bracelet he'd give her.

"Did you kill Kai?" she asked as he laid down.

"No, the sneaky bastard and a few of his elites got away but the rest of his clan are dead," he replied, pulling her next to him. "I'll get these wounds healed in the morning and in a few days I'll leave again to go and deal with the rest of them. We've got the endorsement of the Hot Water Daimyo apparently. According to the stern letter I received from your aunt they are both very angry that you got so badly injured in their country, did you perhaps tell them what was going on?"

"I sent Hisano a letter explaining what had happened, so you're being paid for this?" she nervously placed her hand on his chest, in between his wounds.

"I am," he yawned. "We'll talk more in the morning," he put a hand through her hair and kept him close to him.

"Okay, Madara-sama, I'm glad you're here. I meant what I said before," Yukiko said hazily.

"Tch, just sleep, Yukiko," Madara managed to wait a few minutes before she was asleep before kissing the top of her head, breathing in the scent of apples. "Idiot, and I'll bet you think I don't even give a damn,"

Madara wasn't looking forward to heading back off to find Kai but it was something he had to do.

* * *

><p>That morning was when he finally decided to confront her though. He'd gotten out of the bath, noting that at some point a medical nin had come in and closed his wounds to just slivers on his chest now.<p>

Yukiko was standing next to the rabbit cage, watching Kibou with great interest.

"Yukiko," she stood up, tearing her eyes from the rabbit for a moment. In an instant she was pinned to the wall, wondering her she'd ended up turned so that her front was pressed up to the wall.

"You're toying with me, woman," Madara growled into her ear.

"What?" she was playing ignorance apparently.

"You. You set up the Azuri in the Land of Hot Water with the promise you'd help Kai kill me. A dying man never lies, why? Did you honestly think there was a chance you could kill me so easily?" he waited for her reply. There was a tiny laugh from her.

"No, Madara-sama, you've got it the wrong way round!"

"Excuse me?" she didn't seem scared at all, not at all like her.

"I set them up for you to kill Kai. I couldn't do it myself but it is my mission, isn't it?" she asked, the left side of her face was firmly against the wall leaving her completely blinded to what Madara's expression was.

"You're in a good enough position with me, Yukiko," he purred, kissing her neck. "You could have just _asked _me. I would gladly have killed him for you, although I must say..." with just one hand gripping her wrists above her head he placed the other on her stomach. "Your plan may have backfired a little,"

"I won't outright ask you to murder someone, Madara-sama, that's not right," she pointed out, quivering slightly. Ah, there was still fear after all.

"Hm? That's a shame...I must say it'd be quite pleasing for you to come to me and ask such things of me," he purred.

"And why would that be, Madara-sama? I'm not a vengeful person," Yukiko stated, her vision really becoming a problem. She needed to see so desperately, feeling her neck still fanned by his hot breath.

"Liar, need I remind you of the Water Daimyo's untimely death? You've still not offered me a good enough explanation of what he did to you specifically," Madara whispered.

"He was a tyrant and a liar! What more explanation do you need?" she exclaimed, panic welling up in her now.

_"Your father's dead...He...He passed in his sleep..._"

"DAMMIT IT!" she shrieked, ice pushing Madara away from her. He had a look surprise but at the same time amusement on his face.

"Something bothering you, my dear?" he asked mockingly.

"No, it doesn't matter," she panted, falling to her knees.

"Really? Because it seems to me that I've touched a nerve. Or rather something keeps touching a nerve," Madara chuckled, kneeling down beside her.

"Do it," she growled suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"Kill Kai Azuri, dammit! Just..." she looked at him, tears in her eyes, such a pitiful sight. "Just don't ask me about the Water Daimyo anymore, Madara-sama," she snaked her arms around his neck. "Please don't ask me anything else about him,"

"Fine, I'll kill Kai Azuri, I was planning to anyway, and in return I won't mention the Water Daimyo to you," Madara swore, glancing up at Kiyoshi on the desk.

No, from what he'd heard from Hisano he didn't need to ask Yukiko anything more about what she'd done or why.

* * *

><p><strong>Rawr. I'm actually excited to be writing these arcs. I mean the last part of the chapter starts of Yukiko's role in all this so I promise that she won't be doing paperwork next chapter. She'll be doing some soul searching now that she's falling for Madara properly. Distance makes the heart grow fonder ;)<strong>

**QUESTION: Are you okay with my arc idea? You can tell me if you're not :D**

**Next Chapter Title: With Sin I Condemn You! Demon Play, Demon Out!**


	25. With Sin, I Comdemn You!

So we're on part two of my arc Water, Ice and Azuri. :) This is quite a sharp change from the happy chapter I wrote before. It was done on purpose and the contrast is quite jarring. Safe to say at points it had me in tears.

Chapter Title: Welcome Home by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my insane OCs and my plot.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Five<strong>

**With Sin, I Condemn You! Demon Play! Demon Out!**

Yukiko walked slowly down the corridor, checking behind her constantly before she reached her destination. Even the door seemed formidable, she pulled the note out from her pocket.

_The information that lay hidden isn't hidden at all. In the place where scrolls sleep, you'll find the answers you seek. _

_Izuna_

It was bizarre that he'd write her a note for when Madara left but apparently she wasn't to tell Madara at all.

The Uchiha leader had left to hunt down Kai already, the notion that he should rest being a foreign one to him claiming "_I didn't become leader of the Uchiha lying down!_"

So Yukiko was alone again, Atsuko having led her down to the door of the Uchiha Archives. She had the key, so she could easily just enter the room but the maid had repeatedly said that Madara had sealed them away and the only reason Yoshi had the key was to keep Madara from going back on his word.

It wasn't like the Ginhana to pry but Izuna was right, she had a lot of questions about the Uchiha and very little answers. This seemed to be the only solution and if the younger brother had given her the answers, then surely the older brother couldn't complain.

Yukiko, hand trembling, unlocked the door. The smell hit her instantly. Parchment, scrolls, old leather, it was a smell she knew and loved in her old home.

"This is it then," she whispered to Kiyoshi. "Izuna-san really wanted us to come down here and I'm not sure why," Yukiko pulled out a match and lit a candle to the side of her to light her way down she lit the hanging lanterns lining the stairwell. The Uchiha emblem branded on the lanterns.

She reached the large bookcases lined with books and scrolls, making sure to light lanterns wherever she found them. It seemed dead though. The entire room was dead. One desk in the room's centre, a few open books left there and a couple of framed pictures as well.

It was of Ren Uchiha and Madara. For some reason the desk had been perfectly preserved but at some point the pictures had been put back on there, a crack through the glass.

"Perhaps it was Madara-sama who came down here, this is probably his mother's desk," she muttered, glancing around. "We'll start from Uchiha founding and work our way up to now. We should be done by the time Madara-sama gets back,"

* * *

><p><em>Madara ran, faster and faster down a winding corridor why was he so panicked? His heart pounding in his chest. <em>

_Something was chasing him but he couldn't quite remember what. He glanced behind the image of his Mangekyou Sharingan flashing before his eyes. _

_Was he running from his own powers? _

_He ran further from the light, purging himself into complete darkness as he fell to his knees. A hand appeared before him and then another. He looked up, Izuna and Yukiko the only things he could see now. _

"_My...eyes..." he panted. Madness, this was truly madness. _

"_It's okay, Nii-san," Izuna reassured with a light laugh. _

"_Madara-sama, we'll deal with this all soon enough, the Uchiha need you," _

* * *

><p>Madara shot up, panting heavily and glancing around. A field, they were in a field, Izuna sleeping peacefully beside him.<p>

The leader shook his head, getting up and looking up at the glistening heavens, the stars diamonds in a thick deep blue velvet. The centre of it all was a waning moon.

A rare moment of reflection for the Uchiha, and to come midway through a rampant search for revenge seemed almost ironic. But this was where he felt most at peace, when the flames of war raged around him it seemed to sooth him, he would take a deep breath and savour that feeling of contentment.

When he was younger war would terrify him but just has it had done to Izuna, he had grown used to it and now taken it a step further than his brother and had fallen in love with it. He was deeply attached to his rage however he had recently found it had been hidden away by lust and passion. But here he was again, truly at one with himself again and he would find Kai Azuri and show him the true Madara.

He had, after all, been born to hate.

* * *

><p>Yukiko slammed the book shut, observing the notes Tsukiko Uchiha had put in.<p>

_Sage of Six Paths - Rinnegan_

_Eldest Son – Uchiha – Sharingan – 'Curse of Hatred' See: Uchiha Wars _

_Youngest Son – Senju – 'Will of Fire' _

_Read further into connection between Senju and Uchiha and Rinnegan. _

It seemed that Tsukiko had been doing a lot of research into the bond between the Uchiha and the Senju and from what Madara had said the Senju had been the one who had attacked and killed Tsukiko. She couldn't help but wonder if the Uchiha had uncovered something in particular that had caused the Senju to strike.

Yoshi had been the one who had the key to the Archives. Yukiko leapt up, making her way out of the room, locking it behind her and running down to where Atsuko was waiting at the end of the corridor.

"Where's your father being held, Atsuko?" Yukiko asked impatiently.

"Hm? He's down in the prison ward. Why?" the maid replied nervously, looking around. She had been completely against opening the archives again and was now feeling uncomfortable just being around them.

"I need to talk to him, can you take me down there? I feel like it's better if I spoke to him alone though," the Ginhana started walking, only to be pulled in the other direction.

"This way, Yukiko-sama," Atsuko said gently.

"Ah, right, well...You lead the way,"

* * *

><p>Kai could feel it, that feeling of the Uchiha bearing down on his position.<p>

"Kai-sama, what'll we do?" one of the ninja behind him asked.

"Shut up! How am I supposed to know?" he snapped angrily. He had one arm in a sling due to being punched by Madara, the brute force behind the Uchiha was stunning even to him.

"I thought you had a contact,"

"I doubt she'll help us now but who knows?" in a puff of smoke one of the ninja caught the wooden doll.

* * *

><p>"This is as far as you need go, Atsuko," Yukiko ordered calmly at the dark corridor lined with prison cells. She noted that the other Council members were in the cells as well. Yoshi's being right at the end.<p>

He had his head low, his knees pulled to his chest on a wooden slab supposedly for a bed. It was a pathetic sight.

"Yoshi," she called, his head lifting up, his cold grey eyes focussed on her.

"You're the Ginhana, you're still here then," he groaned.

"It's barely been a month, Yoshi, I presume you've been tortured," she gestured a guard to unlock his cell. The guard watched her nervously. "It's fine, he won't attack me,"

"You're overconfident," Yoshi sneered as Yukiko sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Perhaps. Maybe I've been sheltered by Madara-sama, that's probably it," Yukiko concluded, laughing at herself. "I want to talk to you about Tsukiko Uchiha,"

Yoshi stared at her, speechless for a moment.

"Tsukiko...Why would you want to talk about her?" he asked, looking away from her.

"I've got a theory you're hiding something, the reason that Tsukiko Uchiha was killed was due to her research into something to do with the Sage of Six Paths," Yukiko explained, her voice cold as ice.

"I don't have to tell a Ginhana anything about the Uchiha at all! Don't you dare threaten me! Guards, take her out of here! I am still superior to you!" Yoshi yelled, jumping up.

"I'm in command of the Stronghold while Madara-sama is away. So no, they won't," Yukiko growled suddenly, an unfamiliar feeling of annoyance taking over.

"You? In command?" Yoshi asked with a laugh.

"Yes, me. Yukiko Ginhana, or did you think Madara-sama would hand it back to you, Yoshi? Sit down and answer my questions," she stepped up to him, just centimetres from him her eyes trained on him.

"You think you can tell me what to do, woman?" he spat.

"That's exactly what I think..." she took in a deep breath imagining what Madara would do in this sort of situation. "So you're going to listen to me, you're going to sit down and answer all of my questions or I swear I will kill you right here, you mean nothing to me you filthy low-life so just _sit down!_" she felt a rush of pride when Yoshi seemed to react sitting back down, she almost wanted to jump and cheer. It was a completely empowering feeling. She understood why Madara seemed so drunk on power.

"I'm not going to answer all of your questions," he scoffed.

"Fine, I've just got one. Was Tsukiko Uchiha killed because of what she found out about the Senju and the Uchiha's past and its connection to the Rinnegan?" she asked, grasping the handle of Kiyoshi tightly.

"...Yes, she was," he admitted sadly.

"Fine," she got up and left quickly, nodding at the guard as she did so. "Atsuko, can you take me to my squad?" she asked as she approached the nervous maid.

"You're not going to..."

"I'm not staying here with nothing to do. I am a kunoichi after all,"

* * *

><p>A large overhanging cliff, the sea roughly lapping at the rugged rocks. Kai stared down, thinking to himself. Across the sea was the Land of Water, he could get there and be safe from the Uchiha. It was just getting there that was an issue.<p>

He had left his clansmen behind, they had slowed him down. Instead he was trying to think of a way across the sea. He had no boat and running wasn't an option.

"Kai!" A voice yelled over the rough seas. He turned around.

"Ah! The other fox, what're you doing?" Kai asked. Hisano shook her head, releasing her hair from its tight bond and throwing her glasses into a bag.

"I want them dead, Kai, but _not _my niece. What is wrong with you? You could've killed her!" Hisano approached him slowly.

"I didn't, I knew Madara would save her. Trust me, the Uchiha are destroying themselves!" Kai shouted, the roar of the water overwhelming his voice.

"I hope so! They're approaching...No! Don't you dare hurt my niece! Don't let her know it was me who did this as well!"

"May I ask why you care?" Kai enquired playfully, Hisano scowled.

"She's like my own daughter, you dare hurt her again and you'll pay for it with your life. I may not have liked her vile mother but Yukiko...she's my daughter...she's so close to being my daughter," Hisano cried, glancing back again.

Yukiko was getting closer and closer.

"Fine, I won't hurt the fox," Kai agreed, shaking his head as she disappeared.

* * *

><p>Yukiko looked back at Kohaku, Aoi and Takehiko.<p>

"Do you think this can count as training?" she asked them jokingly.

"Nothing better than real experience!" Kohaku exclaimed with a grin, ruffling Takehiko's hair. "Ain't that right, Take-chan?"

"I guess not, Kohaku-san. We're getting closer, Yuki-sensei," Takehiko informed them, looking to Aoi like usual.

"Hm, there was another chakra signature just a moment ago and now it's just Kai he's not even bothered to hide it," Aoi announced, ignoring Takehiko's stares.

"He's grown arrogant recently. Just as usual wait for me to give the signal, hang back I need to talk to him," Yukiko ordered and with a burst of energy she broke away from the group reaching Kai minutes later.

He had been expecting her, which didn't surprise him. The Azuri had a triumphant look on his face.

"Ah, fox, did you know Madara will be here soon?" he asked with a chuckle.

"It hardly matters, you won't get to see him," Yukiko said, gripping Kiyoshi.

"Such a serious expression, fox! You look like you really want me dead!" he teased but before he could react Kiyoshi was drawn, running down his chest. The blood stained the ground and Yukiko's hair as she ended the cut in a bowing position before him.

Kai managed to stumble back, a horrified expression on his face.

"Yu...Yukiko..." he coughed. "I didn't think you'd..."

"You read me wrong, Kai, and now you stand in the way of peace so you'll have to be eliminated. It's a shame you were just too arrogant," she growled, looking into his eyes with a look of hatred and ice that he'd never seen from her.

"You...My...Kouta..."

* * *

><p>"<em>You should train with your brother, Kai," his mother chimed, placing a kiss on his forehead "I'm busy,"<em>

"_I don't wanna train with him!" an eleven year old Kai insisted, stomping a foot on the floor. _

"_You'll never be as good as your brother, Kai, if you don't train hard," his father scolded. Kai let out a scream of frustration before running out of the room, slamming the door behind him and heading down the path, tears running down his cheeks. _

_He reached the stream he'd usually sit at, staring into his reflection._

"_Dammit he's everywhere!" Kai shouted, kneeling down and punching the water, breaking the image. _

"_Kouta?" a voice sounded behind him. He turned around, the blonde girl from his training group standing there. His heartbeat quickened in response to her very presence. _

"_Ume?" he asked, standing up. _

"_Oh, it is you, Kouta!" she laughed, running down to him and hugging him. _

_So his brother had even stolen her heart instead of him, Kai felt nauseous thinking of it. But at the same time he hadn't corrected her yet. _

"_Ume, what're you doing here?" he laughed nervously. _

"_I'm looking for your brother! I wanna ask him something!" she exclaimed. _

"_Actually...Ume..." he pulled out his necklace, his own name written on it. "I am Kai. What's wrong?" _

"_Oh! Silly me, I'm sorry but you two look so similar!" _

_Kai's mind flashed forward to when he was 17. The Water Daimyo walking down the corridor towards him and Kouta. _

"_You're Kai Azuri, aren't you?" he asked Kai suddenly. _

"_I...I am, my lord," Kai stuttered. "How could you tell?" Kouta seemed impressed as well. _

"_It's your eyes, boy, you've got more fire..." _

_And then finally... _

"_I…I think that maybe you're the problem. You're the one always comparing yourself to him..."_

_All along...Had he really been the problem? Resigned to the fact he and his brother were identical in looks...The Daimyo had touched on it. Their looks were the only thing similar. He and Kouta had lived different lives, but suddenly Kai felt as though he'd wasted his. _

* * *

><p>Yukiko caught Kai as he fell, placing his head on her lap.<p>

"Kai..." she whispered, a sorrowful look on her face.

"If you're going to kill me...Don't look at me with those eyes," Kai panted, his bleeding chest exposed. He pulled out a kunai from his pocket and shaking he placed it into her hand. "You're not going to let me bleed to death, are you?"

"The Azuri will die with you though. Is this the death you wish for?" she asked him, a tear forming in the only eye he could see.

"Better than waiting for Madara. You're stupidly kind though, stop that. I liked it better before...That vengeful side...It's good so don't hide it," Kai coughed.

"I...I don't like it. Kai Azuri, you had your faults but I think you were a great shinobi. And I preferred you to Kouta," she smiled as the tear ran down her cheek.

"I'm glad...You're the second person to say that, Yukiko, don't trust Hisano" he grabbed her wrist and plunged the kunai into his throat.

She sat there stunned, his blood covering her lap and hands. "Don't trust...Hisano?" his dying message was about her aunt?

She trembled, biting her lip until it bled. Why was she crying? Why couldn't she just stop herself?

Yukiko gave the signal for her team to appear. Kohaku being the first one by her side.

She noticed the sea seemed to calm as though to pay its respect to him.

"I really liked him, Kohaku. I really wanted...to save him," she wept, her tears falling onto Kai's peaceful face.

"There are some we can't save, Yuki-chan, and I know you liked him. I think that a lot more people than you actually did," Kohaku sighed, kneeling beside her and gently shutting Kai's eyes.

"I really hate this," she sobbed, the old Uchiha placed his arm around her.

"It doesn't get easy, Yuki-chan, you've just gotta remember why we have to do these things. The world couldn't be at peace with him. He was just one of those people who had to be sacrificed," he explained solemnly.

"I have to stop this crying before Madara-sama shows up," she insisted, wiping her eyes but she couldn't stop herself this sadness ached. The more she tried to keep it in the more it hurt, her throat feeling like it was closing up.

"You've got half a minute then," Aoi sighed, looking east where Madara and his squad were heading from.

Kohaku jumped up suddenly.

"I'll be back in a minute," the elder said, running down towards Madara.

Yukiko stared at her blood stained hands for a moment.

It felt...disconnected. She'd killed this man before her and yet...She was so desperate to believe someone else had done it.

"What's going on, Aoi-kun?" she asked him, her tears still hadn't stopped.

"I presume Kohaku is trying to stall them, except Madara-sama is heading here alone," Aoi answered, his voice cold as usual.

"Can you two go and join Kohaku?" the pair nodded and left.

Yukiko sat there for a minute before her peaceful tears were interrupted.

"Stop crying," a harsh voice commanded. It had been a week and a half since she'd heard that voice. She looked up at Madara.

"I...I don't think I can yet, Madara-sama, please understand," she muttered.

"No I won't understand, you knew it'd end like this," he growled.

"That doesn't make it any easier...I really did like him, Madara-sama, he wasn't a bad person," she countered, her eyes not leaving Madara's.

"He was the enemy, regardless of whether you wanted him to be or not," Madara pointed out, he was right after all. He always was.

"Perhaps...This is one of those times that a flower needs to be treated with care," Yukiko hinted, slowly moving Kai off of her lap and standing up.

"Come here," he ordered softly, his arms pulling her close to his chest as she gently cried. "Next time, you won't get such treatment from me," he warned.

"Thank you, Madara-sama, this isn't like me. I've killed people before but this was just...very difficult for me," she explained, pulling away as her tears stopped.

"Are you looking to me for an explanation?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. He had a point the man was numb to the point of being dead.

"Perhaps not, you're not scolding me for leaving the Stronghold?"

"No. You completed your mission and now you've got no reason to leave," Madara explained, looking down at the dead Azuri. "You'll want something honourable for him?"

"Allow me..." she stood at Kai's feet, weaving several hand signs. "Ice Style: Ice Casket jutsu!" he was sealed away in a block of ice. "Madara-sama, a hole would be nice," he rolled his eyes and sighed, punching a hole in the ground big enough for the casket to be placed in.

"Thank you," she used Kiyoshi to create a bull who carefully pushed the casket into the hole and then a large bear to fill it in.

"Tch, more than he deserves," Madara scoffed.

"We all deserve a little decency in death, Madara-sama, don't you think?" Yukiko said, quickly forming an ice rose on the mound of dirt.

"No. Death is death, people don't stop being themselves just because their heart stops beating," Madara shrugged, walking away.

"I'm so sorry, Madara-sama," she muttered as he said this. He turned and look at her confused.

"What're you apologising for now?"

"That's a very sad way of viewing the world. So I'm sorry you feel that way," Yukiko admitted.

"And I'm sorry you weren't born with the same eyes as me, you can't possibly understand the real meaning of the world around us," Madara smirked. "I'll show you the meaning one day, Yukiko, but for now all you need to know is that it needs _power_ and that's something I possess more than anyone else. That and the ability to destroy all who stand in my way,"

* * *

><p><strong>Waaa! I didn't want Kai to die. :'( Seriously that's what made me cry. I really really loved Kai. He was my second favourite OC, my first being Yukiko obviously, and I don't know. In some alternate universe I can see those two being together for some reason. :( At the end I was playing Call Me by Shinedown. Reading his death scene again with that song...:'( Perhaps some of my own feelings spilled into this chapter at the end though...= The exchange between Yukiko and Kohaku, reading it back, sounds like me trying to convince myself that killing Kai was okay =/ That's weird.**

**So my question: Did you care that Kai died? **

**Next Chapter Title: Hang Onto The Glory Of My Right Hand**


	26. Hang Onto The Glory Of My Right Hand

What's this now? Part 3? :) Well we're coming to the end of the arc. It'll end with the next chapter. We've had the Azuri. So this is the Ice and Water, I guess. I'm liking my arc idea. It's relaxing having just one song to listen to in regards to a few chapters. I think we'll have another arc immediately after this but I'll tell you about that at a later date.

Chapter Title It's still Welcome Home by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto :) But I totally own...Alright I no longer own Yukiko -.- Damn Madara. He left a note on my desk saying to stop saying I own his woman. *whispers* But I totally own Yukiko. ;)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Six<strong>

**Hang Onto The Glory Of My Right Hand**

It was a quiet journey back to the Stronghold, Madara didn't bother joining up with the rest of his squad, trusting that Izuna would lead them home safe.

Yukiko seemed in a state of grief and he noticed she was deep in thought about something else as well, muttering to herself.

"What possessed you to leave the Stronghold in the first place?" he asked, making her jump.

"Oh, I was...Following up on my mission. It was nothing really. I just..." she stammered, looking away from him.

"Liar. Izuna's description of you being an observer is right, you don't act unless it's to fuel your own sense of justice. I think..." he turned and grabbed her wrists. "I think you were upset and actually took your anger out on Kai which would explain how distraught you seem to be," his vicious growl made her quiver.

"I'm not that sort of person, Madara-sama," she whimpered.

"More lies? That's a bad habit, Yukiko. Now I demand you tell me what's going on now before I force it out of you," he snarled.

"Madara-sama, Kiyoshi," she nodded down to her waist where the sword was. He narrowed his eyes before letting her wrists go and touching the sword's handle. She shut her eyes and muttered something.

_Madara felt that sickening feeling again, thrown into a memory of days before. He stood staring at Yoshi's cell._

_Yukiko standing right up to Yoshi snarling. "__So you're going to listen to me, you're going to __sit down and answer all of my questions or I swear I will kill you right here, you mean nothing to me you filthy low-life so just __sit down!"_

_Madara laughed at the image of Yoshi being ordered around by the, quite frankly, petite Yukiko but at the same tim__e he was proud of her for being able to talk to him like that. She seemed to have surprised herself as well, although Yoshi didn't know her enough to realise that was what she was now feeling._

_"I'm not going to answer all of your questions," Yoshi scoffed__ stubbornly._

_Questions...What could Yukiko possibly want to know from Yoshi? Madara was intrigued._

_"Fine I've just got one. Was Tsukiko Uchiha killed because of what she found out about the Senju and the Uchiha's past and its connection to the Rinnegan?"_

_Madara's heart skipped a beat. His mother was murdered in war for information on the Uchiha, he was certain this was the truth but he'd never conceived the reason the Senju __showed up in the first place could possibly have been for HER._

_"...Yes, she was,__"_

_Bastards! The Senju bastards! He could barely suppress his rage, feeling himself pulled free of her memory._

Madara grabbed her by the throat and threw Yukiko to the ground, pinning her down.

"How did you get into the archives?" he spat.

"Izuna gave me the key...Madara-sama...please stop, you're hurting me..." she choked, scratching his forearm.

"I've told you before that you're not to go in there! And those...those..." it wasn't enough for him, he needed to release this anger. He needed to scream and shout, punch, kick or kill someone.

"Madara-sama...please...air..." she wheezed, her vision blurring. But that look in his eyes, it was unlike any she'd seen from him before. It terrified her, she almost thought it was someone else. His grip on her throat was relinquished, he got off of her as she rolled onto her front and coughed repeatedly. Air hadn't tasted so sweet.

"Madara-sama..."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear anything more from you today!" he shouted, storming off. Yukiko stayed motionless for a moment, wondering if she'd done the right thing.

The truth, was that as important as his happiness?

She shook the thoughts and ran after him.

When did his happiness ever cross her mind? When had that man been anything more than a man she followed regardless? But he was...becoming slowly more human in front of her. He was a man who had a lot to carry and very few to share it with, and even less he would actually allow to share it with.

On the surface, Madara was a ruthless leader and a man ruled by his anger and bitterness. Deeper down he was a man tormented by memories of war, who had had to raise his own baby brother on his own, and wouldn't it be nice if she hadn't betrayed his trust and gone against one of his most important rules for her.

Do Not Go Into The Archives. He'd said so to her a long time ago but she had forgotten the fierceness of his stare when he's said it. And now she's lost his trust, what little she had gained. It pained her. For some reason she wanted to repeat apologies and beg for his forgiveness. It wasn't a pleasant feeling at all. All she could hope is that his temper would get better with time.

* * *

><p>Madara's temper didn't get better with time, by the time they'd made the journey, almost a week, back to the Stronghold he still seemed angry and the pair hadn't spoken at all. The silence was suffocating though.<p>

Madara was deep in thought about his mother and Yukiko was thinking about him.

Something must have been able to break this wall of silence but Yukiko wasn't brave enough to do it.

Izuna was waiting at the gates to the Stronghold, patiently waiting for Madara.

"Hey! Nii-san, wanna spar later?" he asked, his older brother just walking straight past him, not even acknowledging Izuna had been there at all.

"Madara-sama!" she called after him but stopped, standing with Izuna a pained look on her face.

"What happened?" the younger Uchiha asked, glaring at her.

"I...I did what you told me to!" she snapped, remembering that the one who'd told her to go into the Archives was him.

"Yes, the point being you weren't to tell Madara you got in there! Why would you tell him you got in there?" Izuna argued.

"I…I found something out and had to tell him, that's all," she muttered, following after Madara.

Izuna liked his games up until the point where Madara wouldn't speak to him, and then they were annoying however the fact that Yukiko had gotten annoyed was a fun little side part of his game.

He sighed, shrugging and heading back to his room to read.

* * *

><p>Yukiko ran up to Madara's room only to find it empty. She sat on the bed, looking down at Kibou.<p>

"He hasn't come up here then…Oh no!" she leapt up running back out of the room and desperately looking around for the nearest guard, Hayate finding her first.

"Hayate! Where's Yoshi's cell?"

* * *

><p>"You didn't need to know!" Yoshi cried out, Madara grabbed his collar and punched him again.<p>

"Bullshit! She was my mother! What part of that means I didn't need to know!" he yelled, kicking Yoshi against the wall repeatedly until blood poured from the Council member's mouth.

"It's people like you I despise! I'm the leader of the Uchiha, how dare you decide what I need to know about my own mother!" he roared, standing back as he trembled with anger. "You're going to tell me everything I need to know about what she found out,"

"Madara, you can't do anything that would force me to tell you something like that," Yoshi panted.

"Yes I can, I'll tell your daughter everything about your wife," Madara spat.

"Madara-sama!" Yukiko ran into the cell, standing in front of Yoshi. "I can tell you about what your mother found out, it's all down in the Archives,"

"I want to hear it from him, now move, Yukiko. I'll deal with you later," he growled, pushing her onto the wooden slab roughly.

"Then have some mercy on him," she muttered sadly.

"You're too soft," he snapped angrily. "This is my mother we're talking about, Yukiko,"

"I realise that but still…" she trailed off, realising it was pointless for her to ask something like mercy from Madara. At the same time though, she was trying to hide the fact she was glad that Yoshi was getting what he deserved.

"Izanagi…And the Rinnegan…Both require Senju blood and Uchiha blood to harness the full capabilities. Your mother realised this and…that the Senju and the Uchiha are related. The Senju decided that this would spark a war between the two clans and they'd try and steal each other's DNA and secrets. Your mother…had to be silenced," Yoshi explained slowly, watching Madara's expression carefully.

"That's it?" the leader asked, his voice quietly. "That's what all those people died for? That's…why my brother doesn't remember his own parents…"

Yukiko looked up at him in amazement, that's what he was thinking about? What his younger brother had gone through because of it? She stayed quiet though, not wanting to have his anger aimed at her again.

"It was…for the good of the clan," Yoshi said.

"You had no right…" Madara growled softly before leaving. Yukiko was too stunned to move for a few minutes.

"You're very lucky you've kept your life," she added, glancing at Yoshi.

"…He'll be back, and he'll be ruthless," was all Yoshi could manage before shutting his eyes and falling asleep.

Yukiko was stuck, not sure what to do. She could stay out of Madara's way and hope he was calm by the time she next ran into him or she could go and explain the rest of the situation to him.

She jumped up, leaving the sleeping Uchiha and headed up to his room, taking a while to get her bearings again.

She gently knocked on the doors of his quarters when she finally reached them though, careful to stay on his good side as much as she possibly could.

"Come in!" he bellowed from within, the beast was still vicious as always. Yukiko slowly made her way into the room; he eyed her tentative actions with disgust. "Stop being ridiculous, Yukiko, I'm not going to harm you," he snarled. Ah but his eyes spoke such different words!

"Forgive me, Madara-sama, I just wish to be respectful of your mood," she explained quietly, her head low. She didn't want to see that look of anger; it almost hurt her as much as his fists would.

"You should've thought about that before you started poking your nose around my clan," he retorted.

"Madara-sama, you left me in charge and Izu…" she stopped herself, biting down on her bottom lip.

"Izuna did what? It's you and my brother again!" he shouted, making his way over to her.

"It's not! I don't even trust your brother but he…he gave me this…" she pulled the key out of her hair tie she'd kept it safe there. Madara snatched it from her and then walked past her. "Madara-sama!"

"Shut up and sit here and wait for me to come back, like a good woman," was what he left her with.

Yukiko growled in frustration, kicking the bathroom door open.

"Like a good woman? Dammit," she glanced down at her bracelet; she had nothing to argue about. All she could do was thank the gods she wasn't married to the man. However she may as well have been. The Uchihas all referring to her as '-sama', sleeping with Madara, having control of the Stronghold when he left. There was not much difference. However she wasn't going to inform him of that at all.

* * *

><p>"You sneaky bastard," Madara snarled as he entered Izuna's room, finding his brother lying in bed talking to Atsuko. "Get out," the maid nodded and quickly left.<p>

"Ah! Madara, I exist now, do I?" he asked sardonically, a smug smirk dared to cross his lips.

"Don't try and twist your way out of this, you little weasel. How dare you continue to go behind my back with things like this," Madara snapped.

"See I did tell her not to tell you, did she mention that?" Izuna asked playfully, continuing his smiling at his fuming brother.

"No, I'm certain she wouldn't have told me unless she found out our mother was murdered because of some petty research!"

"Excuse me?" the smirk was gone now, Izuna's eyes widened slightly. "What?"

"I…I found out that mother would have died if I'd gone or not," Madara whispered.

"Isn't that a good thing? I mean, they say these things give one a peace of mind," Izuna offered, noting the distress his brother seemed to be in.

"No…It brings up more questions. These days of pondering her death are over," Madara lied, his young brother sighed and shook his head.

"Nii-san, you're still haunted by those nightmares, how can you say that to me?" the young Uchiha asked, frowning.

"It doesn't matter; I've got my eyes on the future. All I'm here to tell you is that you're to stay away from Yukiko. The only time you go near here is when she's with me, understand?" Madara warned, shaking off his memories for a moment.

"So possessive, Nii-san! Honestly, I'm not trying to steal her from you. I just…plan things and she is good for using," Izuna explained with a laugh back to his playful self.

"I'm not possessive, just for now you're to stay away from my damn woman!" he shouted before leaving.

Atsuko timidly came back into the room.

"Izuna-sama, what's that going on?" she asked quietly.

"Hm? Oh nothing, I annoyed Madara. I'm going to go down to see Yoshi, apparently he's got some things to say," Izuna answered, jumping up and taking her hand.

"Yukiko-sama went to see him before she left," Atsuko informed him.

"I guessed as much. Well, either way I want to know what's upset my brother and this is the quickest way now I've been banned from seeing Yuki-chan," he explained, leading her down to the cells.

"You've been banned from seeing Yukiko-sama?"

"Yes, Madara's gone nuts with his over-protectiveness now that he's realised that something's happened with mother that led to her death," Izuna admitted, sighing deeply. This just seemed to be getting more and more complicated and all he had wanted was to make things easier to his brother.

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat in the bath, dipping her head under the water. It wasn't swimming but it was relaxing as she opened her eyes and viewed the world from the liquid point of view.<p>

That was until a hand gripped her hair and pulled her above the water level again, she shrieked in surprise, bringing a spike of ice up from the water stopping dead in front of Madara.

"M-Madara-sama…I'm bathing," she stammered, her cheeks dyeing red and her arms folded across her chest.

"I don't care, I've seen you in far more embarrassing positions," this earned him a scowl from her.

"I…" she attempted to protest but instead decided it was better to continue to scowl at him.

"Hurry up," he barked, releasing his grip on her and sitting down by the door.

"Why're you sitting there, Madara-sama?" she asked, confused by his attitude towards her.

"If I fall asleep out there you could sneak off and go snooping around my clan again. You're under my watchful eye until I can trust you again," he explained, glaring at her. She nervously nodded and tried to continue her bath but found it had lost all of its relaxing qualities.

The day didn't get much better. Yukiko was still reeling from Kai's death, feeling drained and in need just to relax however she was stuck following Madara everywhere. He went to train; she sat on the side lines with Hoshi. He went to do paperwork and she sat down helping him and explaining her box idea to him which he seemed mildly grateful for.

Dinner was the same sort of affair; she was sat beside him finding it strange that Izuna was nowhere to be seen and neither was Atsuko.

"Madara-sama, where's Izuna-san?" she asked finally as they finished eating.

"I don't know, I'm glad he's not here. He's probably avoiding me, I'm sure I've hurt his feelings somehow," he replied quietly.

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Of course it does, he's my brother but it's not like I can go my entire life without upsetting him sometimes. We are brothers but we're not perfect," he sighed, head bowed slightly.

"I'm very sorry about the incident in the Archives, Madara-sama," she muttered, feeling guilty that she was the reason the brothers seemed to be arguing.

"Tch, you will be. Let's get going, I'm tired," he snapped, getting up and dragging her to her feet by her arm. In the corner of her eye she saw her bracelet glinting.

_Property of Madara Uchiha…_

Ah…How long ago had it been? A few weeks and yet there seemed to be such a huge distance between the two now. It was her fault but at the same time she couldn't help but blame Izuna as well. He had taken it far enough.

She had been so wrapped up in her thoughts that she barely realised they were back in Madara's room.

"Madara-sama…" she began, but in all honesty Yukiko knew there was nothing she could possibly say. Looking at him with a tear forming in her eye, she glanced back down to the floor feeling completely awkward suddenly.

"If you've got something to say then say it! I've got no time for guessing games tonight, Yukiko," Madara spat, his anger hadn't seemed to have gone at all. He was desperate not to take it out on her or Izuna though.

"I really am sorry, it won't happen again. And I'm so sorry about your mother as well," Yukiko finally mustered, feeling the tear slowly make its way down her cheek.

"Stop apologizing for things you can't help! What sort of leader were you?" he yelled, slamming his fist against the wall next to him in frustration which made her jump.

"I was a third-rate leader! My mother told me that much at least…" her hand gently touched her sightless eye. He blinked at her a few times.

"It hardly matters now. You've got no one to disappoint now,"

"I do though! I've disappointed you. I hate it! I hate disappointing people!" Yukiko shouted suddenly, clenching her eyes shut to restrain herself. "No matter what I do…I'll disappoint someone. And now I've disappointed my aunt, my only family left and there's nothing I can do to make her happy because…Because I'm selfish,"

"What's your aunt got to do with it?" he asked, baffled by the sudden mention of Hisano.

"Because…I think the Azuri were working with her to get rid of you. Maybe she wants me to go and live with her in peace…But that's not who I am and not how I was brought up. I can't sit in a palace for the rest of my life. As much as I hate it I have to be out on the battlefield and the only place on the battlefield for me now…Is fighting with you, Madara-sama," she sobbed, falling to her knees.

Too much…Kai's death, his final words and now everything with Madara and Yoshi and Izuna…Yukiko felt like screaming in frustration.

"Get up," Madara growled, standing in front of her. She looked up at her, surprised to see a look of something like pity in his eyes for a change. "Your aunt is a difficult one to deal with. She's the wife of a Daimyo,"

"I know that but Kai said…He told me not to trust her. I believe he was working with her. She must be trying to get revenge for my father but…She doesn't understand what happened…" Yukiko stood up, wiping the tears from her eyes. Clan leaders didn't cry, even third-rate ones she told herself. **  
><strong>

"What happened?" he questioned, eyes narrowed. The Ginhana shook her head though.

"I…I don't want to talk about it. It comes under our deal…" she replied, shutting her eyes again.

_Your father's dead…He…He passed in his sleep _

"Your deal is going to get my clan involved with the wife of a Daimyo without me understand what's going on, you're going to tell me," Madara commanded, taking a step forward and placing a finger under her chin to force her to look at him.

"Madara-sama…Please not now," she pleaded, not even sure how she'd word what had happened. She could barely take the memories herself let alone put them into words and tell someone else. The secrets she'd wrapped herself up in…Ah, she wanted to tell them to him for some reason. She wanted to tell him everything and see if he'd leave her be then.

Yukiko was frightened. She was frightened of what was happening to her. A simple attraction? This was beginning to transcend that, for her at least. That need for his attention, the craving for his touch…She was desperately pleading for his mercy.

"Fine, tomorrow then. I'm too tired to deal with this right now," he admitted dryly, sighing and taking a step back from her before taking his shirt and trousers off and getting into bed.

Yukiko smiled gently as she muttered her thanks to him, the memories that had been creeping up on her had receded like the tide.

"Tch, whatever just come here. Stop standing around like an idiot," he snapped. She nodded, quickly changing into a sleeping yukata and lying down in his arms.

With his bad mood lightened slightly his hold felt much more blissful. She buried herself against his chest and listened to the gentle beat of his heart.

"Madara-sama," she muttered.

"Sleep, dammit," he hissed in response. "What?" he sighed after a small pause.

"I'm very sorry about a lot of things. However I'm not sorry about being here right now,"

"That's because you're a foolish woman. Some sweet words and you're easy to control, Izuna has shown that much," he pointed out but she shook her head in disagreement.

"That's not it at all. It's because Madara-sama is actually a very good man who has taught me a lot about myself," she placed a gentle kiss on his chest before falling asleep.

Stunned, Madara stayed awake a little longer, trying to comprehend just what it was she'd just said to him. It had almost sounded like a mix between a compliment and a confession. However he was too tired to think for too long and gave into the temptation of sleep as well.

Tomorrow…There'd be time for hidden truths tomorrow…

* * *

><p><strong>You'll have to face the futurrrrre, when the truth comes out! :) Scrubs. Awesome show. Ah! It's all coming out now! X3 I doubt my story will be 40 chapters like I originally planned. I think it'll be about 60 now, looking at my plan. We're like nearly halfway through my plans for Yukiko. I'm so sorry! *bows* Forgive me! I don't want to make you go through all this but there's no way to cut corners. :(<strong>

**QUESTION: What's bothering Yukiko, do you think? X3**

**Next Chapter Title: One Last Kiss To You, One More Wish To You**


	27. One Last Kiss To You

IT FINALLY HAPPENS. :D My arc has ended with this chapter. Next chapter: A new arc begins. And you know I don't want to ramble but I have a new hamster. Her name is Lady Tobi XD I luff her.

Chapter Title: Welcome Home by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: No owning Naruto. I own Yukiko, Kai, Atsuko, Raimei, Hoshi, Kohaku, Takehiko, Aoiiiii, Genshi, Hisano, Keiji, Kouta and Kibou. Go on see if you can list who all those people are without looking back at old chapters. XD

* * *

><p><strong><span>Chapter Twenty-Seven<span>**

**One Last Kiss To You, One More Wish To You**

_Yukiko sat watching the sunrise alone on a cliff edge, the same one where Kai had died. There were seagulls crying out above her and the sea breeze tugged gently at her hair. _

"_It's strange, isn't it?" a familiar voice asked from behind her. "That such peace can be found within one so violent," _

"_Hm? Maybe it is strange but the world is a strange place. I doubt that he's that violent because he wants to be," Yukiko pointed out, a gentle hand placed on her shoulder. _

"_Now, now, fox; I wasn't talking about Madara, was I?" Kai laughed, sitting next to her. "I was talking about you," _

"_I'm not the violent type! What're you anyway? Some kind of guilty conscience?" she snapped before sighing. _

"_You tell me, fox. Maybe...it's lucid dreaming. You've read about that, haven't you?" Kai shrugged. _

"_You're not the person I want to see right now. And I don't want to...talk to you," she stated coldly. _

"_You'd lie so much to yourself, fox!" he exclaimed before laughing again. "Would you rather I was Madara?" _

"_You're annoying me," she mumbled. "Of course I'd rather you were Madara-sama,"_

"_He likes you as well..." Kai teased. _

"_Shut up! I'm not some petty teenager seeking approval from him!" Yukiko snapped angrily. _

"_Oh but you are...fox. Don't you remember about your father...?"_

* * *

><p>"Shut up!" Yukiko cried out, sitting up suddenly. This took Madara by surprise as he slid out a kunai and held it at her throat. She panted, the sharp edge making a small cut on her neck. "I'm...I'm sorry," she stuttered, noticing that she was shaking.<p>

Her eyes fell on the window, it was still dark outside. Madara removed the kunai and pulled her back down.

"I'm very sorry," she whispered again.

"If you were sorry, you'd shut up and let me get back to sleep," he had a very good point. In truth though, she'd kept him up for a while with her constant whimpers and rolling but he hoped now she was back to sleep she'd stay still and whatever had been bothering her was done.

Perhaps he was being harsh. She hadn't been the only thing keeping him up, he had thoughts plaguing him. Of his mother, of his clan, of his brother and of his predicament. He had been very surprised that Yukiko had killed Kai, in cold blood it seemed. He'd seen the wound on the Azuri's chest, it had looked quite brutal.

There was no sign of a fight on her body or within her chakra. She'd gone to Kai with the sole purpose of killing him and yet according to Izuna the pair were working together. Something didn't add up.

"Madara-sama, you need your sleep. I want to train with you tomorrow," she said suddenly, making him flinch.

"With me? Why?"

"How many ninja can say they've trained with you, Madara-sama? If you want to be the best you've got to aim high...That's what my father used to say. What better person to train with than you?" she praised gently, looking up at him and gently pressing her lips to his.

Madara muttered to her. "Is this in retaliation to what I said? A few gentle words and you're easy to control; I assure you it does not work on me,"

"Perhaps I'm just giving you the words you deserve, trust is earned in favour and proof, I'm trying to prove I'm worthy of your trust again," Yukiko laughed softly.

"You could probably just let me sleep. Unless this is a ploy in order to make me so tired tomorrow I lose to you," he joked.

"I could never make you that tired!" she retorted, laughing more.

In an instant, that distance between them seemed to have fizzled. Training seemed to be the key to keeping Madara happy, after all that's what he and Izuna did most of the time.

"About my aunt, Madara-sama…Can we leave for Yugakure soon? I have…something I need to tell her. I need to talk to her and set this straight," Yukiko muttered, kissing his chest. "For the Uchiha as well as myself,"

"Tch, they aren't your clan to worry about…"

"No, they aren't but they are my friends," Yukiko interjected, pulling away from him slightly and looking directly at him. "Atsuko, Hayate, Kohaku-san, Takehiko-kun, Aoi-kun…Maybe…Maybe Izuna-san as well, they're my friends. I believe a leader's job is never over, I was raised to protect the people I care about, Madara-sama," a smile appeared on her lips and her eyes gently shut. "That…includes you as well, Madara-sama, even if we're more than that," sleep beckoned and Yukiko nodded off again.

Madara wasn't sure what to make of her speech. Yukiko had that terrible habit of being able to gently comfort someone and then knock them straight off their feet again.

How could someone who had lost everything, just as he had, casually make new bonds so freely?

Perhaps it was her naïve nature, her clingy nature or just the fact that she had faith that everyone could be good. Madara, on the other hand, knew the truth. Everyone had the potential to be good, yes. But that worked better in reverse, everyone hold the potential to be bad.

* * *

><p>Izuna and Atsuko were sat in Izuna's room. Izuna had a kunai in his hand and was carving a piece of metal.<p>

Atsuko, on the other hand, was sharpening her wakizashi.

"Izuna-sama," she turned around, eyeing him carefully. "Are you still angry?"

"No. I'm going to see Yuki-chan tomorrow. I know I will…" a sly smile appearing as he looked at her. "I'll see her down in the Archives,"

"Madara-sama has the key to the Archives now. There's no way she can get down there,"

"Yes there is," he interrupted, jumping up. "You don't give her enough credit, Atsuko, I'd bet my life I'll see her in the Archives tomorrow,"

* * *

><p>"You're slow!" Madara shouted, Yukiko flinched, his fist stopping right before it made contract. "Seriously slow. Stop wasting time thinking about your next move and start worrying about your opponents," he scolded, drawing his sword. "Kenjutsu then, it's apparently your speciality," Yukiko smirked.<p>

"It is, I won't harness Kiyoshi's abilities then," she laughed, unsheathing the glistening blade.

"Madara-sama!" a guard yelled suddenly. The leader muttered something under his breath that sounded like _"One moment of damn peace…"_ before turning to the guard.

"What?" he barked loudly.

"It's the Senju! They have an urgent issue," Madara glanced back at Yukiko, who was gently smiling and apparently awaiting orders from him.

"Go back to your room, Yukiko. As much as I want to keep an eye on you, I don't want you near those bastards," he ordered. The Ginhana nodded and disappeared back into the Stronghold. "This better be damn urgent,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko pulled the map out of her pocket and followed the twisting hallways all the way down to the Archives.<p>

The Senju…She had about 20 minutes to do this. She pulled out the key she had and unlocked the door.

Unbeknownst to Madara, she was planning on betraying his trust again, having made a copy of the Archive key.

There were just some things that were eating away at her as she walked into the Archive, that smell flooding her again she was much more cautious and yet at the same time she lit the lanterns and ran down the stairs.

She continued to run, her eyes scanning the large bookshelves.

Yukiko found the scrolls she was looking for, quickly grabbing them before making her way back to the desk as she opened them, scanning the information swiftly.

She hissed in surprise though, the door to the Archives had slammed shut. Kiyoshi shattered in response and the silver snake slithered up the stairs to investigate.

He came back moments later apparently no one had come in.

"Dammit, I'm just being paranoid. I'm done with these and now…" she took a deep breath in. "Now to do what I had to do before all of this happened," a trembling hand on her chest, tears in her eyes, there was never going to be a 'perfect' moment for this. And yet she'd stayed in the hope that there would be.

They were in the same Stronghold and she was going to do this, she had no other option.

Yukiko Ginhana had fallen; it was too late to stop what was happening to her now.

And now she'd be a traitor. Not because of her feelings for Madara or because of some notion for peace…Just because she'd promised she would. She'd broken her promise with Izuna but remembered her promise to Madara. She knew what sort of man he was now, she had no excuse.

But she couldn't bear the burden anymore. The Council's collapse, wasn't that her fault? Kai Azuri's death was her fault and her aunt's pain, that was her fault as well. Madara's stresses would decrease with something as simple as this.

But it _wasn't _that simple. It was a decision based on numbers instead of her own feelings. More people were suffering if she had this within her than they would if she didn't.

This was war.

She shut her eyes and undid her seal, the scroll with the Senju crest on the scroll in perfect condition. She ran her finger over it, gently traced the lines and smiling gently to herself.

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko, aged 10, sat out next to the <em>_Koi pond in her garden, the fish circling and fascinated her. _

_"You like fish?" a quiet voice asked. She flinched turning to see the Senju brothers. _

_It was Hashirama who had spoken to her. He was the same age as her and yet she looked up to him. Nothing seemed to scare him at all. _

_"I do. In our country we can't have fish, the ponds would freeze. But there's a lake near our house, Lake Nanami, there are fish there and it never freezes over!" she answered nervous, smiling. _

_"Oh, I see. Well that makes sense; it's really cold in the Land of Water. But I heard you keep rabbits!" Hashirama sat next to her, Tobirama staying right beside his brother. _

_"I do! I've got 3 already. Papa breeds them, we can use them for various tracking jutsus, I'll show you when you come to our house!" Yukiko jumped up, laughing. _

_"Nii-san...When is the meeting ending?" Tobirama asked suddenly. _

_"Soon, we should get in, are you coming Yuki-chan?" the older Senju held his hand out to Yukiko who glad took it, laughing more. _

_"You need to relax, Tobirama-kun, one day Hashirama-kun will be a leader. You have to be strong too! That's what being a leader's all about according to Papa!"_

* * *

><p>"Being strong, eh? I doubt that's what this is," she muttered, gently placing the scroll down and turning around. "If I stay here any longer, Kiyoshi, I'll have second thoughts," the snake transformed into a cat who mewed before following her up the stairs. She was confronted by Izuna, leaning against the closed door of the Archives. She glanced down at the cat who mewed again.<p>

"Don't blame him, he's under control of my Sharingan," Izuna said, reading her mind it seemed. "You're scroll-less, Yuki-chan. The Senju come here and you sell that out as soon as they turn up,"

"It's between Madara-sama and me, Izuna-san. The timing makes no difference to me. I'd already decided on this," Yukiko retorted coldly, annoyed and hurt that he'd manipulate Kiyoshi.

"Release," Izuna made a hand sign and Kiyoshi shattered, returning to a blade. Yukiko studied him carefully, holding her necklace. "Yukiko..." his voice thick with that dark tone she hadn't heard in so long, playing with his hair as he squared up to her. "I really hoped you wouldn't do that, you should go get that scroll and _hand _it to my brother..."

"What difference does it make?" she asked, cautiously as her heart quickened. It wasn't often but Izuna had the ability to scare her as well as Madara.

"It makes a lot of difference, leave it here and it's pointless. Go up there and give it to him it's a show of submission, not just to Madara but to the Uchiha. Not..." he quickly smirked. "That I care much about them. So go on,"

* * *

><p>"You lied about the Senju to get me up here," Madara growled, glaring at Raimei who was sitting on the Council table.<p>

"I needed to talk to you away from her," she answered calmly, completely used to Madara's temper by now.

"You abuse your influence over people. I am not yours, Raimei, don't you go around thinking you can call me up here whenever you want to, I have a clan to run," he warned, his voice filled with suppressed anger.

"Can she call you and you come running, Madara-sama?" Raimei asked, shaking her head.

"By she I presume you mean Yukiko. I doubt I'd come running for anyone however she has much more chance of making me than you do," he growled in response.

Why was he still having to stand there and explain this all?

"Why though? Our engagement was blessed by the Council!"

"Our engagement was _arranged _by the Council! I have very little patience, Raimei and you test it," he snarled.

"I took our engagement seriously, Madara-sama! And to have some foreign bitch kunoichi take that from me isn't acceptable!" she shrieked, finally losing her temper at him. Madara had had enough as well, making his way over to her, Sharingan ablaze.

"You'll learn your place here, Raimei, and once you do you'll realise Yukiko is far superior to you in every respect," his voice was low, threatening however she was unmoved.

"She's not even an Uchiha, Madara-sama, how can you justify this to our clan!" Raimei felt like she was fighting a fight she'd already lost though.

"You're saying that the issue here is that she isn't an Uchiha? That's not it at all; Raimei and you know it's not. You never had control over me from the beginning and don't start acting like us sleeping together was anything more than an arranged mistake from the very start," he spat, turning to leave.

Raimei sat there alone, lip trembling. She wasn't going to cry, she had always promised herself that she wouldn't cry. But ever since losing her title as a kunoichi four years ago she was feeling like she had no place in the clan. It angered her.

Yukiko Ginhana. The woman from the east could easily go out and fight alongside Madara which instantly put her in a much better light than all the Uchiha women.

The only other woman in the clan now permitted to fight was Atsuko, who everyone had noticed was growing extremely close to Izuna now.

It was frustrating, even upsetting to Raimei. She had placed a lot of hard work into winning over Madara and now that had all been torn down.

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat in Madara's room at his desk, looking out of the window to the darkening world outside. She was so close to the Senju and at the same time they were growing worlds apart.<p>

She was hesitant to use the word but they had been her friends. Albeit they had barely seen each other during their childhood but when they had it had all been so comfortable and easy for her to be around them.

Now she was Madara's…whatever it was she was to Madara. A concubine? Perhaps or maybe a mistress. She shook her head of these thoughts yet Madara plagued her almost.

What she had been doing with Madara had been wrong on many levels. Betraying her allies essentially and having sex with a man who was engaged, two things she had never thought she was capable of.

He hadn't even swayed her with words. Forceful action had been taken against her and yet she was now his. It hadn't dawned on her until Yugakure though, she wanted to be his. It was a very uncomfortable position for her.

Staying cold was what her mother had taught her over and over again.

"_You'll get hurt, Yukiko! Things only hurt when you care about them!" _

Ritsuko, her dear mother, had loved Isamu so much that when he'd died she had sworn she'd never feel that hurt again and neither would her daughter.

She sighed, placing her head on the desk and gazing longingly at the scroll in front of her eyes.

Could she really do this? Just hand it over?

The door to Madara's room opened and the room's owner walked in, wiping sweat from his brow after training session in order to rid himself of the anger he'd felt for Raimei.

Yukiko turned and stood up very quickly, heart racing. From fear or from his presence? She pushed out those questions.

"Madara-sama, we need to talk," she announced fearfully. He glanced over at her.

"You as well? Dammit I'm tired of people needing to talk to me," he growled, throwing his damp shirt callously at the corner of the room presumably he threw his clothes around just to annoy Atsuko.

"It's very urgent. I…" her hands were shaking as she turned back to the desk and picked up the scroll. Yukiko felt a lump in her throat as she faced him again, handing it out to him.

Madara was watching her carefully; she was honestly offering him it this time unlike that time in the woods.

"Everyone wants it. It's in my nature as a leader to keep people safe. This way a lot less people suffer…Because of you, Madara-sama, people may suffer less," she spoke slowly, quietly, fighting back tears. "I can leave tonight if you wish; I've got very few items,"

"Leave? Why on earth would you leave? I'm hardly going to throw you out, Yukiko," he took a few steps closer to her. "You have a lot more uses now," he pointed out. She looked at him, stunned.

"You're not…I'm staying here?" she asked, he took the scroll from her and laughed.

"Try to leave and I'll break your legs like I did to Genshi," he warned only half-jokingly. He gently took her wrist into his hand, inspecting her bracelet. "You're very blind to things in front of you, aren't you?"

"I…I assumed you…Do I get to stay in this room with you, Madara-sama?" she barely realised her scroll was gone now. All this time she'd assumed handing over her information would mean handing over the life she seemed to be building for herself, that she'd be placing herself without a home again.

"It'd be very difficult for me to take you if you had your own quarters, I'll be in my office if you need me," he grabbed a clean shirt from his chest of drawers and promptly left.

Yukiko wasn't quite sure what had happened, glancing at the bed and then at the door and then found herself recalling his words.

She grabbed Kiyoshi and ran out of the room, reaching Madara's office in minutes before calmly knocking.

"Enter," he barked, not surprised that Yukiko had followed him. "You need something?"

"N…No. I just…You're already going over that information?" she asked, thrown off he was already studying.

"Yes, I got a message this morning. I'll be going into battle with the Senju in a few days. I'll have to leave tomorrow so I'll need to get this done now. Why on earth did you have their battle squads and various formations? And all this information about their Stronghold..." he glared up at her. Yukiko shook her head, not sure how to respond.

"I…My clan were going to join with the Senju as an allied force…We were going to move down to the Fire Country and have a stronghold beside theirs. As such we'd need this information to synchronise our attack plans properly," she explained quietly, moving behind his desk to stand next to him.

"That wouldn't be a good move. You'd have been slaughtered by us…" realising what he'd said he added. "Ah, sometimes a fate can't be changed,"

"Madara-sama, what did the Senju want to talk about?" she asked abruptly.

"It wasn't the Senju after all; it was Raimei being a pain like usual,"

"Perhaps you should speak better of your fiancée," Yukiko commented, feeling very uncomfortable again with the mention of Raimei.

"She's not my fiancée, that was arranged by the Council which no longer hold any power over me. So that's the first thing that went," he handed her a scroll from his desk. "You'll need that when you do some work for me, I need you to carry on being a good secretary and deal with some requests for battles. They're all opposing the Senju,"

"Why is it I never see you doing paperwork? This is one of the few times you've ever done it," she was still feeling nervous, the way he was reading that information with such…pride.

"I've got better things to do. As strong as I am I wouldn't try to take over your squad, I've got no sensing skills so why would I try to take this away from you?" he replied with a laugh.

"Because…I'm actually fine with it, I don't mind staying here and doing this. If I didn't I'd have to face the Senju,"

"Then stop complaining. Go back to my room and do…something! Don't stay around here doing nothing, I'm trying to think!" he snapped.

Yukiko quickly left however found she didn't want to be alone after all. She was feeling down, lonely and all in all pretty angry at herself.

But with nothing more to do she went back to Madara's quarters…or rather…their quarters now?

Her head was spinning as she fell down onto the bed.

"What've I done, Kiyoshi?" she muttered, holding the sword above her. "I've done something terrible,"

"You've done the right thing," a voice said from the bathroom door making her hiss and sit up. Izuna stood there, against the doorway with his arms folded. Yukiko cursed him for being able to mimic his brother so well. "I'm sure Madara will be happy now and the Senju will be destroyed completely. Once they're gone you've got no one to feel guilty about,"

"It doesn't work like that, Izuna-san, I…have no doubt that Madara-sama can wipe them out. But Hashirama-san is much more powerful than you seem to give him credit for. He won't let his people die, not without a damn good fight," Yukiko explained with a cold tone and an equally cold look in her eye.

"Maybe, but Madara enjoys having an opponent he can play with. Like a cat and a mouse. The mouse may try to flee or bite at the cat, the cat will watch it, playing with it like a puppet. But the cat will always win as it's superior," Izuna laughed as he spoke, shaking his head.

"Izuna-san…Can you…"

"Get out of here, Izuna, what the hell did I tell you!" Madara snapped, surprising them both as he appeared in the room. Izuna continued to laugh, exiting the room quickly without any further comment. "Do you pity me, Yukiko? Or just think that I am weak?" he asked, voice laced with rage.

"N-neither, Madara-sama," she stuttered as he approached her.

"You clearly doubt I can kill Hashirama. So can I presume you gave me that information out of pity?" his voice was getting quieter now but somehow much more frightening.

"No, I didn't. I did it because I have faith in you!" she exclaimed, clenching her eyes shut, expecting to be struck by him.

"You have faith in me?" he asked, chuckling. Her eyes slowly opened. "You're the last person I'd expect to have faith in anything,"

"I…I can't actually believe I just said that," she said, looking up at him. "I…I have faith, Madara-sama…In what I've seen from you," she couldn't fight her tears, lying back down in bed and burying herself in her pillow.

Madara knelt down, moving her hair from her neck and ear and whispering to her.

"The smartest thing you can ever do, Yukiko, is put your money on the Uchiha. I told you, I'll rule this world. You've just gained the same eyes as me," she faced him again.

"I'm a traitor, Madara-sama,"

"You're…" he gently placed his lips to her, his hand on her neck. "A traitor to the Senju, yes, but you'll become essential to the Uchiha. It balances out, actually I like to think you've become much more with this decision,"

"What about these feelings I have for you?" she asked quietly, her hand in his hair, her crimson eyes watching for his reaction.

"It just means you won't betray me. You know what I'll do if you do," he growled softly.

"Kill me?"

"Much worse. Betray me and I'll show you a thousand hells," Madara warned, kissing her again, his hand moving to her bracelet. "You're mine, I've told you before,"

"I know. Just please don't ask me to fight the Senju. They're not like Kai. I couldn't fight them with my all," she pleaded, looking down at her wrist.

"Tch, is that the price I have to pay? It's fine. You don't need to fight them. I can kill them alone, like I've always wanted to," he chuckled, standing up again in order to get ready to sleep.

"Your mission tomorrow, Madara-sama, it'll go well," Yukiko muttered, turning to his side of the bed.

"I don't need you to stroke my ego, Yukiko," he scoffed, pulling her over to him as he laid down.

"I have a feeling that's all," she retorted, gently nudging her head against his chest to get comfortable, her hand gently placed across.

"Your last feeling came because you set me up. I doubt your feelings," Madara pointed out, harsh but true words.

"Actually I set up the Azuri…" she yawned. "And I'm the only one who got hurt in that exchange, Madara-sama,"

Both were too tired to talk at that point, drifting off to the point in which they didn't realise that the eagle had returned, quickly poking his head through the window before setting off back to its master once more.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh! Welcome to the end of chapter notes! Since Kay-san, The Detective Prince, is fed up with writing these she decided to have us do them! So I decided to do the first one as I am the main character of this story, Yukiko Ginhana, nice to meet you. I'm not too keen on Madara-sama using the line "I don't need you to stroke my ego"...Why did she put that in? That's so...Never mind. I'm just hoping she forgets about me promising to show Madara-sama those...memories. *sighs* Now I have paperwork to do, apparently Madara-sama has been neglecting to do it again. He's lucky I enjoy doing it, otherwise I'd...Do them incorrectly to annoy him.<br>**

**The next arc is mysteriously named: Eternal Bliss and Darkness. Kay-san, that doesn't sound very cheerful for me. _You want cheerful, go somewhere else. Madara still kills rabbits behind your back! _He...That was too mean, Kay-san. _Next chapter title, Yukiko. Keep on track._ We hope you didn't mind this segment too much! Isn't Madara-sama doing the next one? _Yes, because that won't end in murder of my potential reviewers -.-..._  
><strong>

**Next Chapter title: Come Know Me In A Different Light!**


	28. Come Know Me In A Different Light!

A longish one this time. Stuff happens in it. I'm very tired. This is the beginning of Eternal Bliss and Darkness. Song choice for this arc is Delirium Trigger. A weird choice but it'll explain itself later on in the arc.

Chapter title: Delirium Trigger by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OCs and plot

Dedication: Coheed (my newborn kitten I lost at 3 weeks and 4 days.) My grey pearl of the stars. :(

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Eight<strong>

**Come Know Me In A Different Light!**

Yukiko sat doing paperwork, which she had been doing for four days. Having left for two weeks she'd found that it had piled up again, albeit not too badly.

Atsuko sat near the window, finding that without Izuna and Madara around she had very little to do.

"I'm nearly done and then we'll leave," Yukiko promised, if Atsuko had been anyone else she'd have asked Yukiko about her strange behaviour. She was quiet, withdrawn and seemed very distracted. What had been about two days of paperwork for Yukiko had been dragged out by her lethargic attitude.

"Don't rush yourself, Yukiko-sama. Yugakure will still be there no matter when we leave, although I'm quite sad that Izuna-sama will be in battle on his birthday," Atsuko sighed, noting that it had started to snow outside which would only darken Yukiko's mood.

"Hm? It's his birthday soon? Did you get him something?" the Ginhana asked, finally finished her last form.

"No, I usually just disappear and let him spend the whole day with Madara-sama, nothing makes those two happier than fighting each other," the maid laughed, standing up as the pair made their way out of the office and down to one of the barracks. "Who have you left in charge of the clan?"

Kohaku, Takehiko and Aoi were sitting in the barracks awaiting orders.

"Kohaku-san, are you sure you can deal with the clan while I'm gone?" Yukiko asked worrying about the older Uchiha's age. Kohaku apparently only saw his age as a point in his favour however.

"You don't live as long as I have without being able to deal with some paper work and rowdy Uchiha, Yuki-chan, leave it to me!" he exclaimed, jumping up.

Aoi and Takehiko were escorting the women to Yugakure, for company more than protection.

"Okay, I believe in you, Kohaku-san. You're someone I know won't let me down," she praised, laughing. "Come on, Aoi-kun, Takehiko-kun,"

* * *

><p>Hashirama took a deep breath in, the wind picking up and swirling around him. The sound of the rustling leaves, the long grass brushing against his legs. It was a serene scene for a bloody affair about to take place.<p>

And yet he was glad. One of the only people he looked forward to fighting was Madara Uchiha, he kept Hashirama guessing and he knew deep down Madara enjoyed fighting him.

It was a strange bond they shared, Hashirama wanted peace through understanding and he knew that Madara understood him most when they were fighting.

He opened his eyes and saw the Uchiha army had shown up. Madara standing proud at the front, his large war fan strapped to his back. The Uchiha was here to kill the Senju, he could tell by his demeanour.

"Madara-kun, it's good to see you again," Hashirama said warmly smiling. It earned him a glare from Tobirama though, who was always frustrated by his older brother's gentle nature towards the murderous Uchiha.

"Oh you have no idea how long I've waited for this," Madara growled, Izuna couldn't help but laugh and turned to Tobirama.

"Well, little Senju, shall we leave them to it like usual," Izuna teased.

Madara drew his katana, nodding at Izuna.

"Prepare to die, Hashirama,"

* * *

><p>Hisano sat in her office, the books on her desk all on the Ginhana and the Uchiha. So much research had meant she hadn't spoken to Keiji in a few days.<p>

Many accused her of only being with Keiji for his wealth and library, and at one stage that had been true. But he'd grown on her and she had grown to love him, but he wasn't a shinobi and understood nothing of her past life. However it wasn't like he wasn't eager to learn.

"Hisano, my dear, you need to stop working so hard," her husband said from the doorway, surprising her.

"I've got a lot to do, Keiji, something's happened with Kai Azuri," she explained wearily, her head in her hands.

Keiji sighed, moving behind her and placing his hands on her shoulders, gently massaging them.

"You've got to stay calm, you stress out too much. The whole point of you giving up your life as a kunoichi was to ease all this stress, it's not good for your heart," he had a point and yet with Yukiko all alone in that Stronghold with…_him…_she couldn't shake her fears.

"My niece has become some sort of mistress for Madara Uchiha, I can't shake these feelings, my dear," Hisano argued, taking her glasses off. "It's too much to bear,"

"Yes, well, Yukiko is downstairs with an Uchiha maid and two shinobi. Madara isn't with her though, he's at war apparently. I can only presume that the maid is a friend of hers and not a servant though," Hisano got up as he said this, immediately heading down to the lounge where the group of ninja were sitting and talking.

"Aunt Hisano, sorry I've not been to visit," Yukiko exclaimed although she had a very tired look in her eyes.

"Yuki-sensei, we'll wait outside," Takehiko offered, she looked at him, considering it for a moment before nodding in agreement as Hisano knelt down opposite her.

"It's fine, who're the Uchiha you've brought?" Hisano asked, annoyed that the Uchiha were in her home.

"Oh. Atsuko is the maid of Madara-sama's younger brother, Izuna-san. She's always with me when they're away at war. Aoi-kun and Takehiko-kun are two members of my squad," Yukiko explained with a light tone.

"Excuse me? You have a squad now?" her aunt tried to hide the horror in her expression with a smile but seemed to be failing.

"I do. Madara-sama let me take over a squad a while ago when their leader was injured however he arranged so they'd be my squad permanently. There is another man as well, Kohaku-san, however he is in command of the Stronghold while I'm away now," the young Ginhana was ignoring her aunt's feelings on this matter though, wanting to explain her position.

"You take command of the Stronghold?" Hisano asked, glancing at the door knowing that just beyond were three of _them_.

"I…I take command of the Stronghold when Madara-sama is away and deal with his formalities," she answered nervously.

"Are you in love with him?" she continued to question, pleading for anything to put her at ease.

"No. No, I'm not…Not yet. But…I think I am falling for him, slowly perhaps, but the feelings are there," Yukiko looked down at her lap as she admitted this.

Hisano stayed silent for a few minutes, holding everything in.

"You…You need to move out of that Stronghold and come live here," she said sternly.

"I'm sorry, I can't. You're the reason I had to kill Kai Azuri. Even if he was the enemy, a man had to die because of your actions. Hisano, it's not like you to use other people," Yukiko had suspected her aunt would ask her to leave the Uchiha. She would've been so quick to months ago as well…

"I used him to make sure you were safe! I can't believe you killed him!" Hisano yelled, standing up in outrage.

This girl…This…little girl…

* * *

><p>"<em>Auntie! Look! It's the lake! There's a crane on the lake!" A 5 year old Yukiko exclaimed, excitedly running up to the Cliffside that overlooked Lake Nanami. <em>

"_Careful, Yuki! __You could fall!" Hisano warned laughingly._

_"There's a crane! Cranes are beautiful!" Yukiko repeated, ignoring her aunt's warnings. _

_"They are, and very intelligent. And they have beautiful dances, have you ever seen a crane dance?" the young girl shook her head. "They dance to show other cranes how beautiful they are. Then they'll get friends," _

_"If I dance...Would I get friends too? I'm not good at dancing," Yukiko asked, dejected somewhat. _

_"No, it doesn't work the same way with people. Tell me, Yuki, what do you want most in life?" _

_"Pork buns! Lots of pork buns!" she exclaimed almost instantly. "And friends! People to play with!" _

* * *

><p>Hisano glared at her calm, icy niece. "What exactly do you want most in life, Yukiko?" she asked sternly.<p>

"Right now? I want peace and maybe...Maybe some clarity on what's going on with me and Madara-sama. Most of all I want the people I care about to be happy. You're one of those people, Hisano, but I know you won't be happy. But if I stay at the Stronghold more people are happy," Yukiko explained, her eyes never leaving the floor.

"You mean that filth, Madara, is happy," Hisano hissed earning a sigh from Yukiko.

"Please think about my feelings, Aunt Hisano, he means a lot to me and I'm just..." the young Ginhana placed her head in her hands. "I'm not even sure how this happened but I'm staying with the Uchiha. I've already betrayed the Senju. Now I can't stay, I've got to get back to the Stronghold in time," Yukiko stood up only for Hisano to stand in her way.

"You go to them and we'll hire the Senju and wage war," Hisano threatened, Yukiko laughed this off though.

"I don't doubt you will, Aunt Hisano, but...Madara-sama, you don't give him much credit. I didn't either," she admitted coldly.

"So why do you now?" Hisano pressed, panicked that she may be losing her niece.

"I believe in him because...Because he's only ever shown my respect as hard as that is to believe. Madara-sama is violent, fiery and extremely dangerous. However he is also passionate, intelligent and willing to fight for what he believes in. I can not fault a man like him,"

* * *

><p>Madara collapsed onto his bed, panting heavily. His leg was in agony, having been constricted by one of Hashirama's wood jutsus, he could feel his shin bone was badly broken.<p>

He had limped back to the Stronghold, Izuna offering him support every now and again but his little brother was also bearing injuries. He'd lost some good men as well. But at the same time he'd taken out some of Hashirama's as well, and the Senju brothers were just as badly injured.

His mood was made worse when he discovered that Yukiko wasn't around. According to Kohaku she had left for Yugakure but was due back any day soon. He hated the thought of her wandering off though, remembering what had happened with the Water Daimyo. The damn woman needed a leash.

Izuna appeared at the door, a concerned look on his face and his left arm in a sling.

"Nii-san, I'm going to get a medical-nin," Izuna assured him quietly, however as soon as Izuna was gone a new problem arose in the form of Raimei coming to see him.

"Madara-sama, how're you doing?" she asked, sitting on the edge of his bed.

"I'd be feeling better if you left me alone, Raimei," he snarled, the mixture of pain and anger boiling to an explosive point.

Raimei had other plans though, lying down on her side to talk to him more.

"Madara-sama, where's Yukiko?" she continued, ignoring his glares. If he hadn't been in so much pain he would've dragged her out of the room himself.

"Firstly, that's Yukiko-sama to you, Raimei. Secondly, why the hell do you care?" he snapped, the door to his room opening again. He prayed it was the medical-nin.

Instead it was the aforementioned Ginhana returning from Yugakure.

She stood there, just staring for a moment, opened her mouth to say something but instead threw her bag onto the desk and stormed out of the room, the door slamming behind her.

Izuna was wandering down the corridor with the medical-nin when Yukiko all but ran past him. He instinctively grabbed her arm with his good one.

"Whoa, Yuki-chan, what's up with you?" he asked with a wry smirk.

"Nothing, just let go of me," she pulled her arm out of his grasp and ran down to, he guessed, the rooftop.

"Come on," Izuna quickly made his way to his brother's room, gesturing the medical-nin to follow. It all made sense as soon as he did but the look of frustration on his brother's face was surprising and worrying. "Raimei, get out of here. You're only causing trouble," the younger brother ordered.

Satisfied she'd done what she'd needed to do, Raimei jumped up and left, one last look at Madara before leaving.

"Two women at once can be difficult, Nii-san," Izuna joked as the medical-nin got straight to work on Madara's leg.

"Shut up! You know that's not what's going on! Go deal with Yukiko, I can't be dealing with this right now," Madara snarled, flinching as he felt something touch his leg. He glared down at the tiny rabbit. "How the hell did that get out of its cage?"

"Madara, it's a rabbit. There's no need to snap at it," Izuna sighed, picking Kibou up and placing him in his cage. "Would you like me to bring Yukiko down here? You did say I can't talk to her,"

"Fine, bring her down here and let me put her straight," he begrudgingly agreed.

* * *

><p>Yukiko felt as though she'd overreacted, having not even stayed and asked questions but after a long journey to argue with her aunt, inadvertently leading to getting Madara involved in <em>another <em>fight with the Senju the last thing she'd needed was…_that_.

Instead she was sat on the rooftop, trying to gather her thoughts before she heard the door opening behind her.

"Yuki-chan, Madara wants to see you," Izuna called to her. She glanced over her shoulder, sighing deeply before getting up.

"I guessed as much, Izuna-san, is he badly injured?" she asked, masking her concern with anger.

"Yes, he is. But he's much too proud to admit it," he admitted dryly. The Ginhana shrugged and the pair walked in silent down to the leader's quarters.

She was left to enter the room alone though.

The medical-nin was gone, as was Raimei; it was just Madara, lying in bed, his eyes following her as she walked to her bag.

"You reacted rather quickly," Madara growled, propping himself up against the wall.

"I…I just didn't want to interrupt you two," Yukiko corrected, trying to keep her eyes off of him.

"There was nothing to interrupt! That damn Raimei was stirring trouble again," he snapped, eyes narrowed and Sharingan spiralling into life.

"Does it matter?" she asked quietly, still not looking over at him.

"Yes it damn well matters! I'm trying to put you straight!" he yelled, she still didn't seem totally convinced though.

"Sort of…like an apology?" now Yukiko did look at him, a curious look on her face.

"No, not an apology, an _explanation _what the hell should I apologise for?" he retorted angrily. That curious look on her face changed to a disheartened one as Yukiko sat down next to him.

"Nothing. How badly are you injured?" she moved down to inspect his bandaged leg.

"Not as badly as the Senju," Madara scoffed, an arrogant smirk on his lips and a slight laugh in his voice.

"Would you like some ice to help with swelling?" Yukiko offered half-heartedly. He didn't actually give her a reply, which she interpreted as a yes but he just didn't want to admit it. Ice flowed to her hand and then covered his injured shin.

"Tch, you could've been a useful medical-nin," he managed to point out, secretly glad to hear her laugh softly.

"I don't mean to offend any medical-nin but I would much rather be useful fighting than standing around healing," she countered, albeit in her polite tone. But her message was clear; she seemed to think negatively of medical-nin.

"Something wrong with having good chakra control?" he asked snidely. She looked up at him, glaring.

"Nothing, but I have good chakra control as do you and neither of us felt the need to become a medical-nin. There are just some ninja who stand at the front line and some who don't," she pointed out a hint of something like annoyance in her voice.

"Tch, you seem personally against the idea,"

"I was told to become a medical-nin by my mother. She claimed that was a woman's job and when I refused she wasn't happy. All she was trying to do was keep me out of battle but it still angered me she'd even suggest it," she explained, taking her hand away from his leg.

"It is a woman's job and it's for the weak," Madara laughed, pulling her arm to drag her back up to him. Yukiko still seemed angry, if not more so.

"That's what I thought. It's not a job for a leader at all," she shook her head, thinking about it more deeply.

"I suppose not," he agreed, getting up but stumbling on his injured leg.

"Madara-sama, there are crutches for you next to the desk," she politely advised, knowing that it would perhaps anger him a little bit.

"I don't need crutches. I've got training to do," Madara snapped, trying not to grimace in pain. She held in a laugh.

"Of course, your men would be able to beat you in your current condition that would be great for your credibility as…"

"Shut up! I'll go do paperwork you've probably neglected to do," he argued as he became more irate with her.

"Kohaku-san has been doing all of that, there's no paperwork for you to do," Yukiko's laugh was becoming more difficult to suppress.

"So what? I'm just supposed to sit around and do fuck all!" Madara yelled, his jaw clenched as he sucked in air.

"Hm? Yes, that is the point of resting, Madara-sama. You lie down and everyone else deals with your things but you can order them around more than usual," Yukiko jumped up and gently touched his arm.

"I am _not _spending all this time lying down!"

"Then you'll hurt yourself more…Then you'll never be healthy in time to crush the Senju,"

"I…dammit. You need to learn your place," he hissed, sitting back down with a scowl on his face. To her, he almost seemed like a child being told off.

"I'm very sorry, Madara-sama. Not just about your injury but I was upset about Raimei…It was…" she cut herself off before she said anymore, but his eyebrow was raised in a curious expression. Madara reached out, grabbing Yukiko's wrist and pulling her onto the bed with him.

"Admit it to me. Admit that you felt threatened," he purred in her ear, making her tremble slightly. Damn him. "Another woman around me…You're so easy to read,"

"I'm not the jealous, possessive type," she managed to state, trying to get up. But she knew better; now Madara had a way of squeezing something out of her he'd never let her go.

"You're apparently the lying type, I can see it in your eyes," the Uchiha growled managed to pin her down without hurting his leg too much.

"It's not a lie, I'm not," Yukiko replied calmly despite her nerves. Her heart was pounding though. Her wrists pinned above her head with just one of his hands. The other ran up her neck and rested on her cheek.

"So you wanting my undivided attention the whole time was a lie? The look of jealousy in your eyes as you walked in…"

"You weren't asleep?" she cried out in outrage, trying to move her hands. His reaction was simply a low chuckle in her ear.

"Not a chance. I'm not going to hold it against you, Yukiko. As I said before…It makes you more unlikely to betray me. You must stop lying though,"

"L-lying! Have you ever tried…" she bit down on her own tongue before saying anymore. She was becoming hysterical.

_Stay cold. Stay cold. Stay cold. _

A kiss, just one, and that coldness melted swiftly. A soft sweet moan escaping her as his tongue gently caressed hers.

"I want you to do something for me," Madara mumbled as his kisses trailed down her neck. "Summon Kiyoshi to your hand,"

Yukiko looked at him in disbelief for a moment. Ah, it was that again. "Fine,"

Kiyoshi formed in her hand and his was instantly on its hilt.

* * *

><p><em>It was the Water Daimyo's home. Isamu Ginhana pacing up and down a bedroom, every now and again glancing at the sword.<em>

_Madara had never seen the man and yet instantly knew him. Many stories had been told about Isamu. He wasn't a ruthless man and yet no one would cross him. He wasn't a man who used force yet no one ignored him. _

_The man was most famed for being a genius. His red eyes were keen, sharp even, and almost as piercing as the Sharingan. _

_Yet the man seemed puzzled._

"_Kiyoshi…What will I do?" he asked, sitting down on the bed at last before pulling out a scroll and brush from a bag on the bed._

_The sword took the form of a bird, it lacked the detail his daughter managed to create, but it was a bird. _

_He chucked the scroll to the bird which refused to fly._

"_Hello…papa?" a teenaged Yukiko walked in._

_**I thought she'd never been to the Water Daimyo's palace…Madara muttered to himself.**_

"_Hm? Yuki!" he exclaimed, hugging his daughter. "You should be asleep,"_

"_Papa, are you…crying?" she asked, placing her hand on his back. _

"_Hm? No…I'm just really excited about meeting the Uchiha tomorrow! I heard their latest captain is some Madara fellow. Very talented and planning to take over!"_

_**Why don't I remember meeting him? I'd have thought meeting Isamu Ginhana would have been something I'd recall…**_

"_Madara?" she laughed. "Strange name, I'll be sure to remember that one! __But, papa," she frowned suddenly. "Why're you so happy about meeting an Uchiha? Isn't he the enemy?"_

"_He is our enemy, Yuki. But I'll tell you something. When all goes wrong and seems hopeless, sometimes it's better to look to the enemy than the ally. Maybe you'll understand that one day," Isamu explained solemnly, Yukiko tilted her head then smiled. _

"_You shouldn't sound so unhappy, papa. Tomorrow will be the first time we fight on the battlefield together. It's my first step to becoming a leader," she pointed out gleefully. _

"_I know…I know," he sighed wearily. "But war is something to fear too, Yuki," _

"_Maybe…But I like to look at it as the first step to peace. After a great war comes a great peace, that's from one of Kiyoshi Ginhana's diaries!" Yukiko explained smugly. She was so…different. So much more confident. _

"_Just what is your mother making you read? Crazy woman! Now go to sleep, Yuki, you won't be able to face the Uchiha with bed head!" Isamu joked, leading his daughter out of the room. "I love you," he whispered to her before she left his side. _

"_Hm? Love you too, papa! I'll see you later!" she ran down the corridor all the while her father stood there just watching her for a while. _

"_Kiyoshi…Please go and take that scroll after it happens," he muttered as he got into bed. The bird chirped. "You'll know," _

_Hours…It felt like hours until something happened. The door opened, several Senju crept in. Madara opened his mouth almost to protest. He knew exactly what was coming as the Senju surrounded the bed, drawing their swords. The swords all came down at once and Isamu Ginhana was dead in seconds, Kiyoshi taking flight as soon as the swords pierced its master's body. _

_The scene shifted to Yukiko, waking up that morning and staring at Kiyoshi on her pillow. _

"_Kiyoshi, what's wrong?" the bird dropped the scroll. Yukiko read it, Madara reading over her shoulder._

_**Yukiko, my dear daughter,**_

_**I was assassinated last night. Do not mourn! The Water Daimyo is the enemy! You must get out of there as quickly as you can. He has betrayed us all. **_

_**I've already sent word to your mother. Do not tell anyone about my murder if anyone were to learn of it the balance of peace would be shifted. Just stick to this.**_

_**I was killed in battle with the Uchiha.**_

_**You will lead the Ginhana to prosperity. I'm only sorry I can't be there to help you with your steps. I know you had it all planned out. **_

_**I'm so proud of you. **_

_**I love you.**_

_**Your father, **_

_**Isamu Ginhana**_

_Madara was horrified, Yukiko began to shake as the door to her room opened and Zentaro walked in. _

"_Yukiko…Your father is dead…He…He passed in his sleep,"_

_She looked up, hyperventilating just before passing out.  
><em>

* * *

><p>The memory cut off, Madara's hand being encased in ice by Kiyoshi.<p>

Yukiko knew what he'd seen, he could tell by that sorrowful look in her eyes.

"The Senju killed your father…" Madara hissed in anger.

"Under orders from the Water Daimyo, yes, but you never blame the puppet, Madara-sama, blame the puppet master," Yukiko replied gravely, his grip on her gone she sat up, shaking her head. "It was just one faction of Senju elites, no one else knew,"

"That doesn't matter! They were Senju! Dammit where's your passion!"

"Do you not think I wanted to blame them!" she yelled back, getting up and then turning to face him. "But I couldn't. They provided us with so much protection," her anger dissolved to tear.

"Blame them now then," Madara growled, standing up, pain shooting up from his leg but regardless he put his arms around her. "Hate them like I do. Let me provide you with protection, more than they ever did,"

"I can't hate Hashirama-san and Tobirama-kun," she protested, muffled slightly by her face burrowing slightly in the curve of his neck.

"Give it time, everyone shows their true colours eventually," he insisted.

But to Madara this incident was just more proof, proof that the Senju had to be crushed at all costs. Too many lives had been ruined, so why couldn't he be the one to fight for justice?

Was it justice? After what had happened to his mother and now Yukiko's father, justice was now the only word befitting of what he was doing.

However the price of power was catching up on him, his time seemed to be running out. The next battle…He'd get them in their next battle. The Senju had to pay.

* * *

><p><strong>You better not be making this a permenant fixture, Kay. It'll be annoying and I know you'll force me back here to do another one. Just ignore the damn fact I've got a war against scumbags to be focussing on. As long as your "precious reviewers" get kicks out of this that's all the matters? <em>It's my keyboard. Now Yukiko forgot to ask a question last time so try and think of something nice to put for reviewers to answer, okay, Mad-kun? <em>Oh so now you're that insane bitch Kagami? _You don't know her yet. Check it. This is pre-gen. Plus, you're the one who dragged Kagami into that story, not me. _You damn smug writer. People only read this to see me crush the Senju, you realise that, don't you? _Actually no. They read it because you and Yukiko are sooooo cute together! XD Tehe _I'm seriously going to murder you.**

**Here's an idiotic question: Do you think Yukiko should hate the Senju? **

**I think you should get Kai Azuri in to do the next stupid one. Or Izuna. _Oh I know. We'll let them decide! _Them? _The people who review. _You need to get a hobby. -.- All this obsessive talking of reviews. _It makes me happy so shut up. The happier I am the more sex you get. _What? **

**Next chapter title: Frightened, I Tear Alone.**


	29. Frightened, I Tear Alone

I like this arc. We're heading into the dark, edgy part of my story now. X3 I like dark and edgy. The part where characters worst flaws are brought out. XD There are so flaaaaaaaws to be brought out. XD

Chapter Title: Frightened, I Tear Alone

Disclaimer: *Chiiiiirp* That was my hamsters saying I don't own Naruto. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Twenty-Nine<strong>

**Frightened, I Tear Alone**

Madara woke up alone, which was a strange role reversal for him. Somehow Yukiko had learnt how to wriggle away from him without waking him; either that or she'd drugged him. His leg was still constricted with pain although he only realized this when he tried to get up.

It was pointless at this point for him to do anything else but lie back down. He'd given up, he was injured. Sometimes even the great Uchiha had to be human and admit defeat when his body so sorely needed it.

"Oh, Madara!" Izuna chimed at the door loudly, holding a bowl with a look of pride. He couldn't quite tell what the bowl had in it though.

"What is it, Izuna? I'm…trying to think," he had to stop himself from saying 'resting'.

"Oh, yea, Yuki-chan said you'd be…thinking…" Izuna winked, bringing the bowl to his older brother. The smell of fish hit his nose instantly.

"What's this?" Madara eyed the bowl cautiously. It was shark fin soup.

"This…is a homemade meal! Like the ones you'd cook when we were living in that cabin by ourselves for a while," his younger brother laughed, handing it to Madara.

"Made by whom? It's not Atsuko again, is it?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, by Yuki-chan. Apparently her father used to cook it for her when…she needed to think," the young Uchiha winked before running out of the room yelling. "Have fun thinking! I've got work to do!"

To say he was suspicious would have been an understatement. Madara was becoming slightly paranoid. At the same time shark fin soup wasn't a food he'd usually avoid, that would be roe. However Yukiko had never made any attempt to say she could cook, always stating she wasn't sure what women were supposed to do if not fight.

Nervously he had a taste of the soup. It wasn't earth-shatteringly good but it was by no means bad.

As if by magic as soon as he'd finished the bowl the creator of the meal appeared at the door much less smug than his brother.

"What's going on?" he asked angrily, she shrugged her shoulders and took the bowl from him.

"Nothing," she laughed.

"I'm not…" his vision began to blur as he fell onto his back again. "You really did drug me…" he slurred.

"We've been doing this a few days now, Madara-sama, I'm very sorry," he heard her say, a gentle kiss placed on his cheek. "Rest well, Madara-sama,"

Yukiko sighed; she hated doing this to him. However Izuna had told them again and again that it was necessary in order for Madara to rest properly. As an expert in poisons she had to be the one to cook though, knowing the right ratio for the drug to be undetectable.

A medical-nin rushed in to work on his leg while they were sure he was asleep.

"I'll leave you to it," she muttered, heading down to Madara's office to get back to work.

Yukiko was actually starting to think of it as her office, having rearranged things for her benefit, even bringing Kibou's cage as she was spending much less time in his room.

Aoi was sat on a small desk she'd added helping with some forms as they prepared work that the Council would have been doing had they not all been imprisoned and awaiting trial…Which would have been presided over by the Council it had already been decided though that Izuna, Atsuko, Kohaku and Aoi would be taking over that role though if only for the trial.

"Aoi-kun, how are those statements coming along?" she asked, sitting down at Madara's desk and pulling out some notes to read over.

"Fine, Yukiko-san, we're just a few days away from being able to make a real case. How is Madara-sama?" she hesitated to answer him for a moment.

"Ah…He's resting just fine, he'll be fit and healthy soon!" she exclaimed, voice heavy with fake enthusiasm. Aoi looked at her with skepticism.

"You're worried about him, Yukiko-san," he pointed out bluntly.

"Maybe a little but I hardly see how that matters," Yukiko retorted with a glare. Aoi chuckled to himself at this though, surprising her a little. "Something funny?"

"You're both leaders but so…childish…" he laughed, trying to cover his mouth to hold back.

"Childish?" she scowled. What was there to be childish about? All she'd said was that it didn't matter if she was worried about him…

"Don't get me wrong, Yukiko-san, I respect you both greatly and my loyalty to Madara-sama is unyielding but…you both act so similar at times. Most of the clan don't say it but we really do think that this…attraction has blossomed into…"

"Get back to work, Aoi!" she snapped, cutting him off swiftly before he went any further and returned to her notes, quickly adding annotations and every now and again looking up to give him a stern look.

Yukiko didn't like being told other people's opinions on her situation. Every time Izuna pointed something out it would annoy her greatly now it seemed as though other people were going to join in.

* * *

><p>Izuna wandered down to his own office, finding Atsuko sat in there alone reading a book.<p>

"No work?" he asked, sitting behind his desk and glancing at all the tidied papers.

"No, Yukiko-sama has taken most of the work on herself, you could train, I suppose, Izuna-sama," the maid replied, yawning. Without Madara, she was growing as bored as Izuna.

"She's just _too _efficient. Actually, I've got an idea," he announced, standing back up and offering his hand to her. "Follow me, come, come," he beckoned. She couldn't help but smile as she took his hand.

"Where are we going, Izuna-sama?"

"To the Archives!"

* * *

><p><em>Madara wandered aimlessly, through what seemed like an endless darkness. <em>

"_Madara-sama!" Yukiko's voice rang out through the lightless realm. "It'll be okay…We'll deal with this. I know someone who might be able to help," _

"_Help with what?" he asked quietly. He couldn't shake this feeling of fear though, her hand on his. Was she right in front of him?_

"_Leave it to me, Madara-sama, please just trust me," she pleaded. _

"_Tch…Trust you?" he scoffed, feeling her kiss him. _

"_Trust me, I'll give you light," Yukiko whispered, placing her hand on his cheek. _

"…_Fine,"_

"_A light that will never fade, you'll be given it,"_

* * *

><p>"What'll we do when Madara-sama wakes up and realizes what's been going on?" Yukiko asked, having been called down to the Archives by Izuna.<p>

"Oh I was hoping you could sleep with him, that'd get his mind off it," Izuna suggested only half-joking as he sat at his mother's desk.

"I doubt that'll even work and I'm not going to do _that_," she snapped although she couldn't help but wonder why he'd even brought her down here.

"Oh because you've never instigated anything," he laughed.

"Perhaps once…I hardly think it's your business, Izuna-san," Yukiko argued, turning to leave. The Uchiha grabbed her arm before she did though, pulling her to the desk.

"So moody, Yuki-chan, it's a perfectly fine topic of conversation," Izuna handed her a scroll. "Go back to his room and read this,"

She hesitated to move for a moment, not wanting to take the scroll from its Archives and if Madara found out they'd been back down here there'd be hell to pay, perhaps more so than after he'd figured out they'd been drugging him.

"You can go, Yuki-chan, there's nothing wrong with reading," he insisted, eyebrows raised and a smug look on his face.

"Alright," deep down all she actually wanted to do was get out of the Archives and away from Izuna if that meant going into Madara's room then so be it.

Yukiko had finally found a map to memorize which meant she didn't get lost on her way back up to his quarters at last.

Thankfully he was still asleep; she managed to relax a little bit as she spread the scroll out in front of her.

_The Other Eye _was the title and strangely had been written by Madara, meaning she had been right and he had managed to get into the Archives at some point and left this in there. However it wasn't all too clear what exactly it meant, having hidden real meaning in hints and clues.

_To awaken the power, to gain the next stage, a non-brother's blood must be spilt and behold in its wake…_The handwriting changed suddenly to what she presumed was Izuna's. _The fall begins. _

"The fall begins?" she muttered, glancing over at Madara's sleeping form. She got up, feeling brave enough to sit beside him. "What fall?"

* * *

><p>"Nii-sama!" Tobirama yelled, rushing into his brother's room. "A daimyo is here to see you!"<p>

Hashirama glanced at his wife who was stood at the door, Mito, for a moment who was fiddling with the seals in her bright red hair.

"Which daimyo?" he asked her.

"The Hot Water Daimyo and, perhaps more importantly, his wife Hisano-hime," she answered as she took a few steps forward and placed her hand on Tobirama's shoulder. "You should inform them that Hashirama is injured and as such they will have to take audience in here,"

The younger Senju nodded before leaving quickly.

"This will be about Yukiko," Hashirama sighed as he did so his chest ached; a well placed slice from Madara's sword had meant he was on bed rest for a week.

"I can't blame Hisano-hime for being worried, I would be if my niece was the lover of Madara Uchiha," Mito replied, sitting on a chair beside her husband's bed before taking his hand. "Are you really letting her stay there, Hashirama? She is…incredibly naïve at times,"

"She can be, but Yukiko is also much stronger than people give her credit for. Perhaps she can teach the Uchiha some compassion towards others," he explained, managing a smile. "No doubt we'll be seeing her again soon though,"

Keiji and Hisano entered the room moments later, Hisano opting to wear a formal kimono for the occasion in navy blue, silver floral pattern adorning it.

"Forgive me for the informality of this, I'm afraid I was badly injured in my last battle," Hashirama announced, taking his hand out of Mito's.

"Oh it's fine, Hashirama-san, we're not the formal type ourselves," Keiji had a frown on his face as he spoke though. "You're not too injured, are you?"

"Not at all, I'll be recovered in a few days I just needed some rest. What is it you come to see me about?" the Senju asked politely smiling all the while.

"We have a mission for the retrieval of Yukiko Ginhana,"

* * *

><p>"You've been drugging me!" Madara roared in his office, Yukiko and Izuna standing before his desk with their heads bowed.<p>

"Only so that you could rest!" Izuna argued. "And look! Now you're healed up and looking much better!"

"That's not that point, Izuna! I could have been training! And you!" now his attention was turned on the Ginhana who had managed to avoid most of his rage, just about. "How dare you go along with this!"

"In my defense, Madara-sama, I wanted you to be feeling better," she muttered. "But again I am very sorry,"

"Sorry! You're damn right you're sorry! I don't even know how to begin to punish the two of you!" he yelled, slamming his fist down on the desk with an echoing thump which made Yukiko flinch.

"Again, Madara, we were trying to help you! Sure we drugged you a little bit for about a week but that's not the point…The point is clearly you're feeling better," his younger brother countered, dragging his piercing gaze away from Yukiko.

"I may well be feeling better, Izuna, but that is only because my brother and woman decided they would drug me," he hissed. "Yukiko, go wait for me in my room. Izuna, you're coming with me,"

The brothers left, Yukiko sighing as she reluctantly headed back up to Madara's room.

His actual scolding of the pair had gone on for well over an hour and although it seemed to be over she knew he'd barely begun with her.

When she got up to his room she found a large eagle on his desk.

"Hey! What're you doing here!" she yelled, falling back against the door. The eagle screeched at her. "No, leave now. I mean it, go away," she snapped, drawing Kiyoshi.

The eagle flew straight for her, causing her to duck and roll as its talons gripped the door. It pushed itself off the door; its razor beck aimed for her face but instead collided with the side of Kiyoshi. She seized the opportunity to roll under the bed and pull out a kunai.

The eagle bent down, peering at her…

* * *

><p>"<em>Go away, Mis<em>_hka!" a 12 year old Yukiko screamed from under her bed, a kunai in hand. _

"_Mishka!" Ritsuko ran into the room, calling the eagle back to her. _

"_Mother!" Yukiko wept, dragging herself out from under her bed, shaking. _

"_Yukiko!" the eagle flew out of the window as Ritsuko embraced her trembling daughter. "Honestly I don't know why that horrible aunt of yours insists on sending that filthy thing in here!"_

* * *

><p>"Hayate!" she yelled, the guard bursting into the room.<p>

"Yukiko-sama!" she heard him shout.

"Go get Madara-sama, she only listens to trained bird owners," she ordered, the bird taking a snap at her while it could, cutting Yukiko's hand open. The eagle's golden eyes were watching her carefully.

"I'm an adult now, Mishka! Why on earth do you still insist on being like this?" Yukiko snapped, her bad day having reached the level of nightmarish.

The bird screeched angrily in response.

The door to the room opened once more, grabbing Mishka's attention.

"Madara-sama, this is my aunt's golden eagle, Mishka,"

"Get out of here," something strange happened in that moment. Mishka's eyes changed from gold into a Sharingan before quickly turning back to gold although her pupils were enlarged.

Rather dutifully the bird flew out and Yukiko crawled out.

"That was pathetic," he snarled.

"I actually agree," she muttered, cursing herself for still shaking at the sight of Mishka. "I'm sorry, Madara-sama, but she's attacked me ever since she was a chick and as she grew older she became more vicious and now it seems she wants nothing more than to kill me,"

"Bad people make bad birds," he recited earning a confused look from her. "It means that people who can't control their emotions train birds that can't control their emotions,"

"Can that really be true?" Yukiko asked as he, begrudgingly, helped her up.

"I believe so. Hoshi, like me, knows not to trust easily,"

She could hardly argue with him but she did retreat to the bathroom to clean her wound. Oh it felt so…nostalgic as she did so though.

She smiled gently to herself as Madara walked in, a bandage pulled out of his tool bag.

"Yukiko," he grabbed her wrist and quickly bandaged her hand. He still wasn't happy with her however he felt slightly better, she'd asked for him that's why. Something about her relinquishing control of a situation and asking for his help…

"Thank you, Madara-sama, and…I'm sorry but I'm glad you're feeling better," she admitted as she pulled her hand back.

"Tch, I'm going back to training. Try not to get mauled by anything else and just wait for me," he sighed, prompting leaving her alone again.

Yukiko yawned, opting to bathe instead of sleep though. It was that strange compulsion of hers to stay clean that always hit her when she was bored or stressed. Water calmed her.

She couldn't help but wonder, coming out of the bath and feeling remarkably relaxed to the point where she was lounging on the bed tightly wrapped in her towel reading a book Atsuko had given her about the Sharingan, if there was perhaps something that should have been taken from Mishka's sudden arrival.

Perhaps her aunt was passing by, a Daimyo and his wife would often travel around doing various peace and business talks and Mishka was always happy to follow Hisano.

Yukiko was so lost in her thoughts and learning more about the Sharingan that Madara managed to walk in there and look at her curiously for a few minutes before she realized, glancing up to the window to check the time and then noticed on the opposite side of the room was the Uchiha, trying not to laugh when she yelped in surprise and grabbed the bed sheets and almost rolled herself up in them.

"Madara-sama, you should knock," she muttered to him as he laid down next to her.

"In my own room? You need to learn your place," he laughed, the training having softened his mood.

"…Yes, well, maybe," she stuttered with a pink blush on her cheeks. Her hand clutching her towel very tightly as she got up and moved to his chest of drawers which she used one part of for her own clothes.

She quickly got dressed in the bathroom before finding Madara was watching her as she came back to bed.

"Why did you actually drug me?" he asked, his tone serious all of a sudden. She still had to be interrogated.

"I wanted you to rest," it was her honest answer, so why did he keep questioning her?

"Tch, what're you and my brother up to?"

"Absolutely nothing," surely his Sharingan would tell him she was telling the truth!

"Hm. I'll be keeping my eye on you, Yukiko," he growled, hating the fact that she was still willing to talk to Izuna…well part of him was.

"I have a bad feeling about Mishka," Yukiko sighed, her head on his chest like usual.

"It's just a bad bird. If it comes back I'll ring its neck," Madara threatened which caused her to laugh.

"I hate Mishka but please don't ring her neck. She's very beautiful," she couldn't help but enjoy that sweet lullaby of beats from his heart as she drifted off.

"Beautiful, yes, but much like your aunt…on the inside there's nothing but blood and bad blood at that," he murmured.

"That's not true…There are organs too!" she stated playfully.

* * *

><p>"I don't get why you're looking so down, Nii-sama, we're getting Yukiko back," Tobirama boasted as he placed on his blue armour.<p>

Hashirama sighed. "I realize that but it won't be without cost. Madara-kun will put up a fight and, I suspect, so will she,"

"Hey! We've known Yukiko for over 11 years not once has she attacked us…Well not to hurt us anyway," his younger brother tried to reassure him but Hashirama just wasn't comfortable with any of this.

No…If it'd been his choice none of this would have been taking place at all. He liked Yukiko and honestly he liked Madara as well, hurting both of them wasn't something he wanted but…It was never his choice to begin with.

* * *

><p><strong>Evening, Izuna-sama couldn't make it tonight as he was out training with Madara-sama so instead he asked that I do the author notes. I am Atsuko Uchiha. It does look like an awful lot is about to happen, doesn't it? Madara-sama won't be pleased with the Senju showing up, that's for certain. <em>They were going to eventually. And Mad-kun isn't pleased with anythin'!<em> Excuse me? _We thought the segments were getting dull so we brought you guys in *yawn* They're still dull so now I'm here. Kagami Ryou, nice to meet 'cha. From another story, one that'll be on here at some point called Iris. Basically I'm from Mad-kun's future. _Surely Madara-sama doesn't let you talk to him that way. _Ah, you've got a lot to learn. Actually we've got somethin' in common. We're both maids although I double up as a healer too. _I...see. _Aren't you supposed to being askin' somethin'? If I stay here too long, Itachi-san'll realise I'm slacking, that won't end well. *yawn*_**

**Right...Question time: Do you think Hashirama will actually go through with this mission? How will Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama react, do you think?**

_**Nicely done. I hear the pitter patter of an Uchiha tracking me down so we'll make quick with the Chapter Title.**_

_**Next chapter title: Remember When We Were Young! **_


	30. Remember When We Were Young

Chapter 30! We are now dead on half-way through the story. :) I'm really struggling with this arc. I don't want everything to happen sudden so this arc will end up being about 7 chapters long with a dramatic conclusion moving straight into another arc. I've already got that arc planned as well. It'll be based on a song called The Crowing. XD I would tell you the arc title but it'd give a lot away if I did.

Chapter Title: Delirium Trigger by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Except my characters, my plot and this chocolate bar!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty<strong>

**Remember When We Were Young!**

Yukiko ducked, rolling under some large tree roots and into a small hole at the base of the tree. She curled up as tightly as she could, until her back strained and she panted heavily.

_This is easy…_She kept telling herself over and over again. Why was she worried he'd fail then? But again she told herself she'd done enough, he wouldn't fail. There was no way he could.

She was still scared though, her heart pounding in her chest. Perhaps this was too much too soon, but she forced herself not to doubt him.

"Yukiko," his voice rang out as Madara bent down, a smug grin on his face. "That was quicker,"

Yukiko laughed with relief as she pulled herself out of the undergrowth with his help.

"That was, this tracking training is really paying off," she said as she stretched. They'd spent the last 3 days alone in the cabin in the woods under Madara's orders it was to help him as he came to terms with the fact he wasn't the best tracker and that _maybe _it was something she could help him with.

However when they weren't training the pair had spent the time talking about various things. Peace, war, falconry, swords, Izuna…Without the paperwork to get done, battles to prepare for there was a calmer air around Madara. He wasn't a warlord for a change he was…free almost. But it seemed strange. War was what held Madara together; Yukiko guessed that even he needed breaks at times though.

The pair quickly headed back to the cabin however halfway there Hoshi swooped down in front of Madara, a scroll around his neck.

Madara snatched the scroll from him, skimming what was written as a look of anger slowly spread over his face.

Yukiko stayed silent, knowing it was better to wait for his reaction than to force one from him.

"Go back to the cabin," he ordered before swiftly heading off for the Stronghold.

Yukiko glanced down at Kiyoshi. "Something bad is about to happen. Can't you feel that static in the air?"

* * *

><p>Hisano was not a woman prone to second thoughts or regrets. No matter what her husband tried to tell her she was determined to get her niece back.<p>

She sat at her desk, gazing at a picture of Isamu and Yukiko and remembering those times in the country she so sorely missed. And now she was involved with Madara Uchiha.

A violent man…A dangerous man…But an incredibly powerful man…And just why was that sweet innocent young girl she once knew now the woman who stood beside him?

Hisano wasn't one for second thoughts but she still felt like she'd failed. Failed to keep her dear niece out of war and failed to keep her away from the mess between the Senju and the Uchiha. No one ever wanted to be between those two clans, they would leave complete wastelands in their wake as they travelled throughout the land murdering each other in cold blood.

Once she had been a kunoichi, now she was left with a bitter taste in her mouth and a hatred for all shinobi and the destruction of her entire clan had only justified her feelings in her mind.

_"I believe in him because...Because he's only ever shown my respect as hard as that is to believe. Madara-sama is violent, fiery and extremely dangerous. However he is also passionate, intelligent and willing to fight for what he believes in. I can not fault a man like him,"_

Hisano slammed her hand down on the desk.

"Unacceptable…" she hissed as she got up. "He's brainwashed you with that cursed Sharingan, Yukiko."

* * *

><p>Yukiko was lying in the cabin, bored out of her mind. She also couldn't shake the feeling that some terrible was going on.<p>

But she had to stay put against her will. A sudden explosion from the Stronghold's direction forced her up though. She grabbed her sword and ran out, smoke billowing into the amber sky. Fire…

"Madara-sama!"

* * *

><p>"Madara-kun, it's my mission and I will not back down," Hashirama argued, having rolled out of the way of Madara's Fireball Jutsu.<p>

"Like hell you won't. You're leaving here in a damn coffin, Senju!" Madara yelled but Izuna leapt in front of him.

"Madara! Wait a minute!" Izuna cried, drawing his sword and staring at his older brother. "Let's listen to the rest of this," he suggested.

"They're working for her aunt, I already know all about this," Madara growled, causing Izuna to look shocked.

"Her…aunt?"

"Madara-kun, calm down. All we're here to do is take Yukiko back to where she belongs," Hashirama tried to calm him but knew there was no way he was getting out of here without a fight.

"That's it? Touch her and I swear I'll rip your hands off, damn Senju!" the Uchiha leader shouted, lunging past his brother and grabbing Hashirama who quickly conjured a large branch between them.

"Why can't you understand I don't even want to be here, Madara-kun," Hashirama said wearily. "I don't want to rip Yukiko away from you but this is our mission,"

"What?" Izuna was thrown off by this as he grabbed his brother's arm, ready to restrain him if he had to.

"You Uchiha don't even think before you react! Don't you think if we _really _wanted Yukiko back with her aunt we'd have come here before? Or that the logical step would have been to bring our _army_!" Tobirama interjected at this point. "Hell, I think we should have but Nii-sama wanted to come talk it out with you,"

"Talk it out! Fine, we'll sit around…" Madara managed to push Izuna away from him. "And calmly discuss it," he hissed as he went for Hashirama again. The Senju managed to grab Madara's punch. They weren't getting out of here without a fight and with such a violent reaction they weren't getting out of here with Yukiko either.

* * *

><p>Yukiko didn't know why she had panicked but she had. Her heart was pounding, not just from how fast she was running but from that fear.<p>

She had to admit to herself…She didn't want to _save _Madara from whatever was threatening to tear him apart but she did want to be there when it did.

Speeding past the gates, she leapt up, planning to scale the building and jump through the window of the Conference Room.

But something made her stop just before she reached the window; she shifted her chakra so she could cling to the wall.

* * *

><p>"There are only two Ginhana left, Madara-kun. Do you really think it's fair she's away from her only family?" Hashirama asked, still desperate to reason with Madara.<p>

"I wouldn't give a crap if her father came back from the dead and wanted her, she's staying. It's more a security matter than anything else," the Uchiha leader hissed.

His Senju counterpart sighed. "We've provided enough security throughout her life,"

"Bullshit. You killed her father!" Madara snapped, drawing his katana. Hashirama felt the change in atmosphere instantly. He weaved several handsigns, several branches sprouting up to bind Madara who easily sliced them down and headed for the Senju as new ones grew.

"Madara-sama!" Yukiko jumped in front, Kiyoshi aimed to block the swing of his sword. Once more she found herself trembling at the sheer power behind the blow. She fought back furious tears as Kiyoshi was forced back slightly.

"Yukiko…" Tobirama leapt over several tables.

"Back away, Tobirama-kun! Hashirama-san, can you please give me a moment? You too Izuna-san," she requested, trying not to make eye contact with those hate-filled orbs watching her.

The only noise to be heard was the scrapping of the swords against each other until..."Okay, Yukiko," Hashirama nodded and the three ninja left.

Madara relaxed, taking a step back before punching Yukiko to the floor.

"How dare you disobey me and then undermine me," he snarled as he took another step to where she was lying now, hands clasping her cheek.

"I wasn't…You…You were out of line when you mentioned my father!" she cried out, the pain in her face seeming to just increase.

"Who killed him?" he asked viciously. Silence. "Answer me, woman! Who killed him?" she looked up and then shut her eyes.

"The Senju…" she muttered.

"Louder."

"The Senju did! I'm over it!" she yelled.

"You filthy liar! Stop lying to me!" he had to resist the urge to continue hurting her, the temptation to kick her was almost unbearable.

"I…It doesn't matter, Madara-sama. You won't let the Senju take me and surprising as it sounds…I'm not going with them," she managed to pick herself up, content in the thought that as a kunoichi she could take a punch better than most women. She wasn't some frail young thing that would be knocked out and beg for mercy.

Well she occasionally begged for mercy. But the fact was during her time with Madara she'd grown stronger. She actually _didn't _want to rely on the Senju anymore. Not because of what they'd done to her father but because she had found something precious in the Uchiha clan. A place she was needed. Even if it was only filling out Madara's paperwork and taking command of the Stronghold while he was gone, it was something he'd entrusted her with something he'd come up with playing to her strengths.

The Senju had just sheltered her, not wanting any harm to befall her and while that was a nice enough sentiment she found herself feeling…frustrated.

"Will you excuse me for a moment, Madara-sama?"

"Tch, go straight to my room," he ordered as she walked out of room she turned to look at him, deep in thought. Not the brute she'd once taken him for, but the genius hidden under that vicious temper. She opened her mouth to say something to him but the words refused to come out.

Yukiko shut the door, looking at Hashirama for a moment before finding the courage to talk.

"I'm calling in my favour, Hashirama-san. Can you please leave here? It's not long before you're in battle with Madara-sama again. You can discuss this another time, surely?" she stated, trying to stay cold. She didn't want to leave with the Senju but she had still been friends with them for over 10 years.

"What? Yukiko!" Tobirama exclaimed, noting the bruise coming up on her cheek.

"It's fine, Tobirama-kun. This is my last request as leader of the Ginhana," she didn't have anything more to say, trying to walk past the Senju brothers. Tobirama going to grab her but his brother caught his wrist.

Izuna stayed silent, trying not to smirk triumphantly as he watched her walk away though.

"We're going," the elder Senju said suddenly, breaking the silence.

"What? No way! Why, Nii-sama?"

"We're going," he insisted, heading for the exit of the Stronghold.

Madara came out of the conference room moments later, looking around for the Senju.

"Yuki-chan got Hashirama to leave by calling in a favour apparently," Izuna explained, letting go of his laugh at last.

"A favour?" Madara asked but before he could give chase his younger brother grabbed him.

"Madara, wait. I'll give you some advice. It's not a good reflection on the clan letting Yukiko go but at the same time I believe some respect is in order, I know you'll never apologise to anyone but just think about it for a moment,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko stood looking out of the window, her pride damaged slightly more than her cheek. Maybe she was more naïve than brave at times, trusting that Madara wouldn't hurt her. She heaved a heavy sigh, shutting her eyes.<p>

_Thump._

Hoshi landed on the window sill, giving her an inquisitive look. She gave him a weak smile, stroking down his back.

Predictably by Hoshi's sudden arrival, the door to the room opened she didn't even have to turn around to know it was Madara.

Unpredictably though she felt his chest pressed against her back, one arm around her waist while the other moved to her cheek causing Yukiko to flinch before feeling something ice cold pressed against it.

"It's to help with the swelling, idiot," he growled. She laughed softly, placing her hands over his. "Bold move for you,"

"Hm? I know…People talking about my father always brings out an…old side of me," Yukiko admitted quietly.

"_Don't do it again_," he hissed into her ear. She was tired, wounded and had no time for arguments.

"I won't, Madara-sama," however the day had taught her one thing. She had to figure out some way of dealing with her aunt.

They stayed silent for a while, the pain in her cheek finally starting to subside. She wanted to point out that she had the ability to use ice on herself as well but guessed that this was some way of him making up for punching her.

* * *

><p>Atsuko watched the Senju leave from the rooftop, having gone up there earlier to hide from Hayate who had decided to badger her about Izuna once again.<p>

It gave her a rare moment in her day to think and, as always, she found herself thinking about Izuna and about her childhood.

* * *

><p><em>Atsuko<em>_, aged 7, ran down the corridors of the Stronghold with a piece of paper in her hand, looking around for her father. She turned a corner without even looking running smack into a boy her age. _

"_I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she bowed repeatedly before looking up. The boy had tears in his eyes that he quickly wiped away. "Oh, did I hurt you?" _

"_No…I'm looking for Nii-san…" he choked on his tears as he spoke; Atsuko looked down at the paper before holding out her hand. _

"_We'll look for him together. What's he look like?" she asked quietly as he took her hand. _

"_He's taller than me…Spiky black hair…His name is Madara," he explained slowly, looking around. "I'm Izuna, who're you?"_

"_I'm Atsuko. My dad is on the council and mum gave me a letter for him. I'll do that once we find your brother," she answered, still staying quite quiet. Atsuko led him down to the various places she could think a boy would be. _

_The Great Hall, the Children areas finally as a last ditch effort she went to the training field. _

"_Nii-san!" Izuna cried out instantly as he saw Madara sat on a rock watching the men train. _

"_Izu…What're you doing here?" he asked, glaring at Atsuko which was frightening. _

"_I…I got lonely and then Atsuko-chan helped me find you!" Izuna admitted shyly. _

"_You need to stop that. When I finally convince someone to train me I'll be going to war and then you'll be lonely for a while," Madara scolded at the same time there was something gentle in his voice. _

"_No! I'll come with you! I'm not leaving…"_

"_Atsuko!" Yoshi yelled as he pulled out of training to talk to her. "Where's Minako?"_

"_I don't know…Oh! Dad! Here!" She let go of Izuna's hand and ran to her father, handing him the letter. "Erm...These are my new friends...This is Madara-kun and Izuna-kun," _

_"Hm? I know who they are, I worked closely with their mother. Madara, you thinking about starting training yet? I'm getting fed up of hearing you've been stealing money once again. How old are you now?" Yoshi asked, not even reading the letter. _

_"I'm 10. I've tried but no one's willing to train me," Madara scoffed, eyeing Yoshi with caution. _

_"Is that right? Maybe if you stopped causing so much trouble you'd get trained better. Mind you you've got good chakra...Come...Lemme see what you can do," Yoshi beckoned Madara over to a space away from Izuna and Atsuko. _

_"But...But I don't want him to fight..." she heard Izuna mutter. _

* * *

><p>"Atsuko," Izuna said from the door, making her flinch before turning to face him. "You got nothing to do?"<p>

"N-No, I don't. That's been happening a lot lately, actually, Izuna-sama," Atsuko sighed, approaching him with a small frown. "So I've been thinking a lot more...About Mina and you,"

"Tch. Mina and me?" Izuna had a serious expression now. "I wouldn't waste time with Mina and me, there barely was a Mina and me,"

"I'm sorry I brought it up," she interjected, hating herself for that pain she could see in his eyes at the mention of her dear older sister.

"You've got nothing to feel bad about, Atsuko, I was feeling bad about...something that's all. Come on! I wanna go see Yuki-chan!" he grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs.

* * *

><p>Madara sighed, pulling himself away from Yukiko in order to stop that horrible quickening of his heart that had started to happen around her.<p>

"Something wrong, Madara-sama?" she asked, taking the ice pack from him and placing it on the desk.

"No, just thinking about the Senju...You called in a favour, what for?" Madara sat down on the bed, watching as her muscles tensed when he mentioned it.

"It was a long time ago. I saved Hashirama-san from drowning once, he fell into the sea after hitting his head...We were children. I leapt in and saved him. Since then he's owed me his life apparently. He would bring it up a lot when we would talk by ourselves, as a result he always said he'd accept a favour from me...Multiple favours actually but I never even thought of using them at all until now," Yukiko explained, shutting her eyes and pushing out all of those memories that were creeping up on her.

"Tch, well it got them out of here. I'll be leaving in a weak for a battle with them," Madara scoffed as he got back up. "It won't be long until they're gone. I'll chip away at them until there's nothing left,"

"Madara-sama..." Yukiko whispered, it pained her slightly to think of Hashirama dying. She took a step forward and gently wrapped her fingers around his open collar. "Give me something to do other than paperwork,"

"I told you to train as well, I'm not having you on the field until you're done with training. You're a danger to yourself," he wasn't going to give her a mission at all, no matter how hard she trained but he was hardly going to tell her that.

"I'll do that then," she gently kissed him, moving slightly closer to him. It had been long enough since she'd felt his touch and couldn't help herself now, she craved him however she wasn't quite sure how to express it. Words...Words were clumsy for her and Madara wasn't one for words either. No, actions were the way to go but she was much too gentle for them.

Madara could read her though, perhaps easier than reading a book. His hands, underneath her shirt, ran up her back. Causing her to respond by beginning that dance of dominance between their caressing tongues once more.

There was a loud knock at the door, breaking their kiss.

"That'll be Izuna, ignore it," he snapped, but the knock came again this time louder. "What?"

Izuna walked in, Atsuko shadowing him.

"Madara, I've got a letter for you that I should have brought you before but the Senju showed up," Izuna announced, handing his brother a sealed envelope. Madara tore it open, scanning it for a moment before shoving it to Yukiko.

"It's for you as well," he hissed. Yukiko looked at him with surprised before slowly reading it, it being the last thing she'd expected and from someone she thought they'd put behind them.

_Dear Madara-kun and Yuki-chan,_

_I, Hibiko Akio the Daimyo of the Fire Country, hereby invite you to a banquet at my palace. _

_It is to promote good will between our country and the Land of Whirlpools who have been assisting me in several business deals. _

_I understand this will be your first public appearance 'together' however do not worry! I am positive that you will still be able to get some assignments sorted yourselves. _

_You are to behave while here though. I will sever all ties if you are to ruin this evening for me. _

_Your ruler,_

_Hibiko Akio_

"We're leaving for a banquet?" she asked, so baffled she'd read it twice. "Surely the Senju will be there as well!"

"My lower squads have been needing more assignments though, this seems like a good chance to get some," Madara argued, finding it hard to find a good reason to refuse this invitation.

"On the other side of this it says when we should go. We'll have to leave tomorrow to get there in time," Yukiko informed him with a sigh. She hated formal occasions and no doubt this one wouldn't be any different except this would be her first one without Daisuke. Instead she'd be with a man she'd actually fallen for, how was a woman supposed to react in this sort of situation? Excitement, maybe? Instead Yukiko was feeling mildly nervous.

"I'm afraid I've got vital squad training this week! I can not come with you!" Izuna said suddenly in a mock-hurt voice.

"Tch, I wasn't expecting you to anyway. Let me go sort out Hoshi, I'll have to write a reply. You may as well help Yukiko pack, Atsuko," Madara ordered, grabbing his brother and quickly leaving.

"I'll need a proper kimono, won't I? They've always been so tight and heavy I'd rather keep to yukata," Yukiko groaned, admitting to herself that in front of Atsuko she could show her disappointment both at the day's progression and at the sudden intrusion.

"I actually already have several kimono prepared for you for situations like this," Atsuko admitted with a small laugh.

"Oh. Well that's good, I suppose. I never know how to act at these things and now I'm not going to be a clan leader so I guess...standing next to Madara-sama and just being quiet could be an option now. Uh, maybe people will want my input on things as well. What would I say? I guess I'd be allied with the Uchiha now so I'll keep that in mind, would I be able to talk to Mito? No doubt she'll be there and it's been so long since I've seen her..." Yukiko found her thoughts were becoming more confusing, needing to sit down as she spoke.

"Yukiko-sama, if you don't mind me saying so, maybe you should just wait until you get there," Atsuko politely advised realising that Yukiko wasn't the type of person who was very good with other people. However the Ginhana failed to realise that Madara was probably having similar thoughts at that moment.

* * *

><p>Izuna and Madara sat in the latter's office.<p>

"You want me to deal with your packing?" Izuna offered with a yawn.

"This damn day," Madara snarled. "This damn stupid day,"

"Hey, look at it this way. You're a clan leader about to go to a bunch of people with money offers and you'll be going with the woman you're falling for," Izuna playfully remarked, ignoring the harsh gaze aimed at him.

"I do _not _have those sorts of feelings for Yukiko," he growled. However his brother was having none of this.

"Yes you do. Maybe you'll realise it before you say or do something stupid and then...Poof! She'll be living with the Senju and shacking up with Tobirama before you know it," Izuna waited for it. Three, Two...

"Don't you dare even suggest such a thing. I'd rather kill her than that happen," Madara spat, standing up.

"Yep...No feelings at all, eh, Madara?"

"Shut up, Izuna. I'll go get ready for this stupid thing myself," Madara snapped as he left, Izuna laughing as he did.

"Who, exactly, are you trying to convince about your feelings, Madara?"

* * *

><p><strong>My, oh my. A banquet, would you mind explaining where that idea came from? <em>Eh, oh, Kay had that idea which was going to take place in the original version of A Fresh Snowfall and that was going to be how Yukiko and Madara met for the first time. She ditched it as it seemed so fairytale like, aren't you that dead guy, Kai? <em>I am dead yes. But not gone! I actually think we should scrap this getting other characters, Kagami. I feel me and you could do a much better job, why you'd need someone like me and all the charisma I hold! _You're rather full of yourself...Anyway! Do not fear the next chapter isn't filler despite the fact it seems like it is! _I can't believe people are actually still reading this crap...Question time?**

**Question time, my little foxes. How do you think Madara feels about his little fox, Yukiko, at this point? ...Kagami?**

_**Right! Next chapter title: We're Now Up Here Alone!**_


	31. We're Now Up Here Alone!

You better like this chapter. -.- It took a lot of work to write and was very annoying. At one point I had one part on my computer, one on my netbook and was balancing between the two just to get it done. BTW :) One of my friends keep bugging me about various themes for various characters. While not every character has a theme some of them have multiple. XD Yukiko's are The Truth Beneath The Rose (Within Temptation) and Erizo Schultz by The Prize Fighter Inferno. I'll sort through Madara's next chapter.

Chapter Title: Delirium Trigger by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: An owl gave me a letter today :( I'm not accepted into Hogwarts and I don't own Naruto. I do own all my OCs and plot though so that's good :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-One<strong>

**We're Now Up Here Alone!**

Yukiko stood at the entrance of the Fire Daimyo's palace wishing she was anywhere and she meant _anywhere _else in the world.

It hadn't been a long journey, a half a day but the banquet was that evening and neither of them was in a particularly good mood.

A servant appeared and promptly led them to their room, Madara having to leave to speak to the Daimyo as soon as he laid down his bag.

She heard him hiss several curses quietly before he went to leave. "You're coming with me," he ordered, feeling very uneasy with the entire situation.

Yukiko didn't argue with him either, obediently following. There was a tense, stressful atmosphere though which hadn't been there one their previous business. The servants were all pacing around trying to get everything sorted for the evening.

Madara and Yukiko were left waiting outside the Daimyo's office; Madara was deep in thought however she managed to pick up on a conversation between two gossiping maids a little way off.

"That really is Yukiko Ginhana with Madara Uchiha, eh?"

"But weren't the Uchiha responsible for her clan's death?"

"Apparently she's not the type to bear grudges!"

Yukiko sighed, rolled her eyes and prayed that the Daimyo would hurry up. She was fine with people talking about her and Madara, which was to be expected. But at least the Uchiha had the decency to do it out of earshot.

At last the door she'd been briefly worshipping opened and Hibiki Akio poked his head out, pleased to see them apparently.

"Ah, Madara-kun, I'm glad you made it so early. The Senju have let me down with a matter although I'll have to ask that Yuki-chan stays outside while we speak," Hibiki explained however he still spoke with such a warm tone.

Madara nodded and the Daimyo retreated back to his office.

"Shall I go back to the room?" Yukiko asked quietly.

"No, wait for me out here," was all he said before entering the office, leaving Yukiko standing in the hall alone. She knew she'd hate it here.

* * *

><p>Atsuko dusted down Madara's desk with a heavy heart. Something was bothering her. It had been there for years and yet now it had started to take control of her.<p>

She stopped dusting for a moment before shutting her densely lashed eye, trying to think of something…anything that wasn't him.

"Atsuko!" she jumped at the sound of her own name, turning around to see him…Oh him.

"Izuna-sama, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice just above a whisper.

"Hm? Nothing, I'm bored. You look like you've seen a ghost!" Izuna laughed as he walked up to her, glancing at the duster in her hand. "You're working?"

"Yes, I am. I'm not in the habit of coming into Madara-sama's room without permission for no reason," Atsuko pointed out politely.

There was a sudden and very unfamiliar silence between the pair. Yes, they'd been silent around each other before but this one felt much more uncomfortable.

Atsuko was deeply in love and yet there was one thing that hung over both their heads. The memory of her sister, they both had loved her so much and her death had been so hard on both of them. She wondered if he could look at her without seeing Minako, was her very presence hurting him?

"Izuna-sama…" her words were stolen from her suddenly, her lips caught swiftly by his. It was brief, soft; his hands on the desk behind her caged her. Hers were curled into tight fists. Maybe it was nerves and maybe it was partly because she'd sworn no other man would do what Kouta had done to her but she felt a fizzling in her stomach.

Izuna pulled away from her as quickly as he'd come onto her, looking suddenly flustered.

"Forget about that." He muttered, turning and rushing out of the room. Atsuko stood dumbstruck.

"Izuna-sama...Mina…"

* * *

><p>Two hours later and Yukiko was sitting outside the office still, a servant having given her a chair while she did so.<p>

Did Hisano have to sit and wait for Keiji like she was having to? She had prided herself on her patience but even Yukiko had a limit, standing up and debating whether to leave when the office door opened.

Madara came out with a slightly sullen look on his face at that moment, barely even glancing at her as he made his way back to the room.

"Madara-sama, is something wrong?" she asked, a slightly urgent tone in her voice.

"It's none of your business, Yukiko. I'm fine, just annoyed I've got to do all this foolish socialising later," he snapped, slamming the door to their room open. "I need to get ready and so do you. Remember you're to be on your best behaviour, I don't want any trouble from you or you'll be begging me for mercy once more and I won't be giving it so openly," he threatened before heading to the bathroom, picking up his bag on the way in.

She sighed.

"As if I had any other choice on how to act…" she murmured to herself.

* * *

><p>An hour later and Yukiko and Madara were nearly ready. Yukiko was in a deep purple kimono that Atsuko had given her. There was an almost wave like pattern across it. Madara had suggested she shouldn't tie her hair up, which seemed strange but wasn't going to question it.<p>

He, on the other hand, was in standard Uchiha clothes. However he had opted to wear a closed high neck black shirt and full length white trousers. It was a subtle change but Yukiko wasn't going to say it didn't help.

He was sat at the desk actually tending to his scruffy hair for a change. She was amused at his cursing every time he was left pulling at a knot.

"Madara-sama, it would have been better if you'd done that in the bath," she suggested, hiding her amusement.

"I realise that now, Yukiko, but there's no time for that," he growled angrily at her.

Yukiko gave in, realising this was only going to get worse. She got up and held her hand out to him.

"Madara-sama, the brush please," she asked politely with a sweet smile. He glared at her for a few seconds before handing it to her. She held her hand over it, water lightly coating the bristles. She took a strand of his hair and gently ran the brush through it quite easily.

"Tch, damn kunoichi," he scoffed as she worked.

"Is it because we stand up for ourselves? Or that we work in mysterious ways?" Yukiko asked him playfully, hoping it would maybe lighten his mood a bit.

"Neither, it's because you're all deceitful and sneaky," Madara scoffed rather smugly as if to say 'I've figured you all out'.

"I beg to differ, Madara-sama. I am nothing but open and honest with you, it's hard to be deceitful with your Sharingan watching me," she correctly reasoned.

Another reason Madara hated kunoichi, they could hold a decent argument at times.

* * *

><p>The banquet was as large and elegant as she's expected it to be. Lots of less important Daimyos of small allied countries such as the Land of Rivers and land owners and owners of various businesses were all gathered and talking to one another. It did seem the perfect place to mingle with some of the higher ups and gain favours.<p>

These were, after all, the people who kept the Uchiha financially afloat. The stranger, yet better, news had been that the Senju hadn't shown up.

She took more sips of wine and carefully watched Madara as he spoke to more people needing favours. She was pleasantly surprised that all of these people actually thought so highly of him, praising his power and the way he ran the Uchiha.

"You're quiet again," a voice came from behind her, making her jump. Yukiko turned to see Hibiki Akio chuckling to himself.

"Sorry, my lord, I was thinking," she bowed; perhaps the wine was starting to cloud her senses if a non-ninja was able to sneak up on her.

"It's fine. I'm very surprised about Madara-kun actually. Maybe I was wrong about him, he has agreed to do a mission that even the Senju refused," Hibiki explained quietly, Yukiko softly gasped. It explained why she had been left standing outside the office for so long but...

"Is it dangerous? Or is it...immoral?" Yukiko asked carefully, glancing back at the Uchiha.

"It's quite dangerous however I doubt it will be for him," he answered with a gentle smile as an attempt to reassure her. "I was wrong about you as well. Madara-kun seems much better than I thought. He told me I can't tell you the details of the mission though,"

"Why not?"

"To protect you, I believe. He claimed it was because a woman doesn't have to know a shinobi's business but I'm quite the observer like you, Yuki-chan. I won't break my promise to Madara-kun but you should know that it is _very _dangerous," Hibiki warned her before walking away to talk to someone else.

Yukiko stood dumbfounded for a few passing minutes.

"Yukiko," Madara touched her shoulder, making her flinch. "Stop standing around like an idiot and come here,"

"How's it going?" Yukiko asked, puzzled by the fact he had a glass of wine himself despite telling her he wasn't going to drink.

"Fine. I'm just fed up," he quickly downed the glass before having it refilled very quickly. "I'm supposed to be going into battle next week and here I am with all this crap,"

"Madara-sama, you could take this time to relax," she suggested, finishing her own glass off.

"How can I relax around these people?" he hissed, looking around the room.

"Come, I've got a way," Yukiko took a few steps towards the door then glancing behind her finding that Madara was following her. She laughed, grabbing the bag she'd hidden underneath a table near the door as the two quickly exited.

* * *

><p>Izuna was lying on the rooftop, watching the stars in the sky as he thought to himself about his childhood which had been on his mind for a while. It wasn't just Mina on his mind he found now he was thinking about his friendship with Atsuko as well. He shut his eyes for a moment.<p>

* * *

><p>"<em>Izu-kun, what's...?" Atsuko began as she stood in the cabin where Izuna and Madara were living while they trained. "What's going on with you and Onee-chan?"<em>

"_Hm? Me and Mina? I dunno yet. I mean...You know...I'm only 15 why ask me such a serious question?" Izuna asked nervously, looking out at Madara meditating outside. _

"_We're the same age, Izu-kun!" she argued. "I'm asking because...she's my sister..."_

* * *

><p>Izuna sighed, slowly opening his eyes.<p>

"Sorry, Mina," he muttered as he sat up. "Really, I am. I've said it a lot but now I understand more. It was for Atsuko? Then why didn't you realise how much we hurt her?"

He listened to the door opening.

"Izuna-sama? Are you okay?" Atsuko asked as she approached him, looking down at him lying on the cold rooftop.

"Hey, you. I'm thinking! Say Madara and Yukiko are being miserable right now. Think they'll still do it?" he asked jokingly as he leapt up.

"I wouldn't want to speculate," was all she could manage without laughing.

"Atsuko..." Izuna suddenly became very serious as he turned back to face her. "We need to talk,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko led him all the way out of the palace walls to the side of a slow-flowing river nearby; she sighed and sat on a large rock to watch the water.<p>

"This is a mature river," she claimed suddenly, watching Madara's puzzled expression. "It runs from the Land Of Rivers all the way here and finishes over that way," she pointed east. "In the Land Of Water and it was a river I would follow in my time as leader of the Ginhana and it's called Ikiru Kawa,"

"Life River? You need to spend less time with water, Yukiko, knowing you you'll drown in it," Madara laughed only half-joking which caused her to scowl.

"Here," she threw him a bottle of sake from her bag.

"I thought I told you no more drink," he warned, it was a comment she simply shrugged off.

"I thought we'd need it as neither of us enjoy this sort of occasion," she loosened her kimono slightly, glancing up at the moon so fixated for a moment she didn't realise Madara had sat next to her.

He wanted to say something...Perhaps something nice for a change, wanting to show her through all his harsh words and her hard work that it was all appreciated but he had no way of saying it.

Instead he put his arm around her and drank with her, noticing that it was sake from The Land of Water and despite what she had once claimed it seemed much stronger than sake from the Land of Fire but maybe they would have to agree to disagree on that later. It was probably a matter of what he was used to anyway.

"I was thinking that I would start training with Atsuko soon," Yukiko announced abruptly, earning her another puzzled look from him. "You wouldn't understand,"

"Tch, if you explained it then I would. I'm not a mind-reader but I'm not an idiot either,"

"Fine, because we're women who have men in our lives who can be very reckless," Yukiko teased with a laugh.

"You're not going to tell me?" he asked with an eyebrow arched.

"No, I'm not," the Ginhana confirmed, taking another sip of the drink that was definitely clouding her mind now.

"I can just torture it out of you," Madara reminded her as he glared down at her.

"I know," she muttered quietly, distant for a moment.

"You could teach Atsuko a lot about defending herself, you're not the mediocre ninja you used to claimed to be,"

"You're being too serious!" she chimed suddenly, jumping up and finishing off her bottle. "I thought we'd relax together,"

"Ha! You think that's it? Drink and you'll relax?" he asked her as she handed him another bottle.

"It works for me," she sighed, turning away from him to look at the moon again. "Drink and someone to share it with. That's all I want right now!" she laughed again.

"Hn, doesn't look like this night will go any better sober," he shrugged, drinking the entire contents from the bottle quickly. "You realise you'll have to bear the consequences now?" he asked, standing up and holding out his hand to her. "Yukiko..."

"Don't I always have to bear the consequences? I'm used to it, Madara-sama," she reassured him with a smile and took several steps towards him as she grasped his hand tightly. "You're so handsome when you're dressed to impress, did I tell you that?"

"No you didn't," an opportunity for his own kindness perhaps? "You should wear kimono more often, you look more noble than your aunt," she blushed as he said this but thanked him none the least as she gently kissed his cheek.

Halfway back to the palace though they came up with a problem. It started with Madara chuckling to himself before pulling Yukiko against him. She didn't yelp like usual but rather welcomed this from him.

"We may be a little too relaxed to go back," she suggested before his lips crashed against hers, stealing her breath away so easily. Her hands seemed to move on their own as they clasped a fistful of his black hair almost immediately and she was able to respond completely to his kiss with her own passion for a change instead of being overwhelmed by him.

His own hands though weren't sure where they wanted to be moving down the curves of her body before finding their place on her hips. She found herself pressing against him even more before he slowly pulled out of the kiss.

"We should get back," he told her, having not moved away from her yet though.

"Like this?"

"I meant to our room..." Madara corrected her before leaping up to a nearby tree to start making his way back. Yukiko folded her arms and shook her head.

"Ever tried moving properly in a kimono?" she asked him with a smirk.

"You've done it in a yukata," he argued, that feeling of impatience and the fact he was finding it difficult to balance was making him testy.

"Yukata are looser and lighter. You know nothing of women's clothing, do you?" Madara growled, leaping back down before picking Yukiko up bridal style. "Madara-sama!"

"Oh what now?" he growled as he started making his way back to the palace, his head seeming to be foggier rather than clearer.

"I'm not some sort of noblewoman who cries out for help at every turn! I am a kunoichi," she giggled, pressing her forehead gently against his neck.

"You're so proud. It's okay, even slightly attractive, to be vulnerable sometimes. Don't do it all the time or it'll test my patience," he warned softly. "I'll have to find some way of sneaking up there without us being caught,"

"Hmm, that sounds fun!" Yukiko pointed down to the orchard behind the palace. "That way, Madara-sama!"

"Keep it down or we'll be dragged back up the banquet and everyone will realise we're..." he trailed off as he hid behind a tree, slowly peeking around the trunk to see if anyone was around.

"That we're a bit drunk? Why is it every time we're here we have to do all this sneaking?" she whispered trying to suppress a chuckle. "Aren't we up in that room?"

"I don't even remember. You'd better be right," he hissed.

"Eh...When will you understand that I quite like your punishments, Madara-sama?" Madara made his way up to the room she'd pointed out finding that it was, indeed, their room. The bags laid down outside the bathroom were definitely his and hers.

Madara put Yukiko down on the bed and grabbed the key to their room, locking it tightly.

"It's been months," Yukiko pointed out as she watched the moon from where she was lying on the bed.

"You don't need to remind me," he snapped, ripping his shirt open and throwing it down near the door before stumbling on top of her. Their kiss was resumed, this time with more flare, more desire. He pulled out a kunai from his back pocket and sliced her obi cleanly in half before his hands pulled her kimono off.

Yukiko, herself, was in a brave and drunken enough state to be pulling at his own trousers and then underwear however he drew the line at this, grabbing her wrists with one of his hands.

"Don't rush too much," he laughed so...sweetly that her heart fluttered for a moment. It was that honest smile as he looked down at her it threw her off completely. Where was her harsh Madara? It hardly mattered, at that moment she preferred this one. "You seem surprised about something,"

"No...Nothing," Yukiko shook her head and laughed as she pushed herself up a bit to be able to be close enough to kiss him of her own accord.

"You're lying as usual," Madara gently pressed a hand on her neck and pushed her back down.

"I belong to you enough! Can my thoughts not be my own?" Yukiko asked, not being able to hide her smile as she brought her wrist to her face to show him her bracelet.

"For now, maybe," he kissed her again, the hand on her neck gently trailing down to one of her now exposed breasts. He ran his thumb over its peak, her leg twitched as he did so. He slowly rolled it between his thumb and finger as it hardened. Madara savoured her uncomfortable shifting beneath him as she moaned softly, the sound slightly muffled by their kiss.

Something skimmed across his tip; his entire body flinched while he broke their kiss and looked down. Somehow she'd managed to rid him of the rest of his clothes, he gave her a confused look before gasping as her hand clasped his length and ran up and down it.

"Is that not okay, Madara-sama?" she asked, her voice quiet in his ear.

"Drop the -sama," he panted as her speed quickened. Yukiko was enjoying herself though, watching those tiny beads of sweat on his brow, the way it was his chest heaving against hers now for a change. "Yukiko...I'm warning you...Stop this now...It's..." he groaned suddenly, she got the message and took her hand off him, giggling as she did.

Yukiko was silenced by the lust in his eyes though, even if she was intoxicated she knew better than to deny him anything when he was looking at her like _that_.

"Madara..." the way she breathed his name as his teeth gently grazed her other bud was heavenly. Yukiko spread her legs wider, beckoning him to take her. "Madara...?"

"Yuki..." heated kisses were planted up her chest and back to her neck as he slowly pushed himself into her. She couldn't help but notice he was being much gentler with her than she expected, his rhythm was slow and deep. It was refreshing though, her body didn't feel near to breaking with each thrust.

Instead there was something sensual about it still, his kisses much more passion filled but without the forcefulness.

His hands gently placed on her cheeks as he kissed her, her own were running down his back.

It was all very…intimate but both knew exactly what was missing. They weren't 'intimate' at these moments…No this was a moment for lust, to give in to those sinful instincts of theirs.

"My dear…" he purred, kissing her jawline as he did. "You'll want to dig your nails into me in a moment," she could feel with every quickened thrust that she was about to go up in flames. The intensity of those flames was much higher than usual though, the sake having made her completely give in to her own desires.

Yukiko had been bold enough to touch him, now she was bold enough to pull him into a kiss as she was reaching that dizzy stage before she was thrown into that world of pure white pleasure. She wanted to hold off that world for as long as possible but his pure fire seemed to ignore her pleas spewed between pants and moans of "Madara…Please…"

His ragged breath on her neck told her that he was going to join her in that world in…Yukiko's nails clawed at his back, her head thrown back as she screamed his name losing herself to that world as he bit down on her shoulder and savagely growled her name.

He pulled away from her, lying on his side as he caught his breath and at the same time smirked at the sight of a recovering Yukiko, her pale skin luminous in the moonlight.

"We should do that more," Madara concluded once he was able to talk again.

"What? Get drunk or…that?" she asked rolling into his arms, looking into his deep grey eyes with a hazy admiration.

"Maybe both, I don't know. My head won't think straight," he found his jumbled thoughts were all trying to come out at once.

"You're amazing, Madara…So perfect at times," she whispered, her speech faintly slurred as she did so though. She stroked his cheek with her thumb and found herself gazing upon him like an art piece. "If only you didn't hurt me,"

"Hurt you?" he exclaimed, all his thoughts suddenly turned to 'be angry'.

"You think I'm a liar. You…" she laughed at this point, breaking eye contact with him. "You do nothing but hide things from me,"

"Why do you think that is?" he asked her, surprising her a little.

"Maybe to protect me?"

"Why?"

"Because…you actually care about me?" he made no attempt to agree with her but at the same time he made no attempt to correct her either. He just wanted to sleep before anything stupid happened. "Madara-sama…"

Here it was, the stupid thing and the reason he hated drinking while he was usually fine other people weren't.

_"I think I'm falling in love with you,"_

His eyes snapped open, finding that Yukiko was fast asleep in his arms.

A dream? Had his muddled mind lied to him? No…surely he hadn't drunk that much of her strange sake. Or had he? How much had he drunk? A few glasses of wine and two bottles of sake…

He was being a fool. So why was a part of him willing it to be true? Madara shook the thoughts immediately and slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Yukiko groaned, waking up queasy and confused. The night had passed in a blur, a strange blur that left her body aching however she could easily piece it together finding herself naked and pressed against Madara who seemed to be sleeping very deeply.<p>

"Madara-sama," she whispered in his ear. Nothing. Usually her slightest movement would have him up and with a kunai ready to slit her throat and yet now he was peaceful…content.

She slowly got up just in case, creeping over to her bag and washed herself, getting dressed in her normal attire.

By the time she was back in bed, dressed, Madara had started to stir.

"Yukiko…" he moaned, rolling onto his back.

"I'm here, Madara-sama," she reassured, moving his fringe away from his covered eye for a change.

"The darkness…" he continued, arm twitching.

"A night terror again?" she muttered to herself. "Madara-sama, it's Yukiko," she grasped his hand. "This is going to hurt but I need you to wake up," she sharply bit his hand, causing the Uchiha to hiss in pain and grab her by her throat however unlike usual he immediately relinquished his grip on her, blinking a few times before speaking.

"Yukiko," he groaned rubbing his temple with his unharmed hand. "Don't drink anymore, it's not exactly what women do," he gradually got up.

"I'm sorry, Madara-sama, but it did make the night more interesting," Yukiko pointed out.

There was a knock at the door, both bet it was the Fire Daimyo summoning Madara to see him.

"I'll tell him you were sick," he got up, threw on some of his clothes and opened the door. Yukiko noticing a white flash outside the window, curious she approached the window wondering if she'd just seen a bird.

Madara was half way down the corridor when he heard it. A shrill scream from his room followed by a loud bang.

"Yukiko!" instincts kicking in before rational thought could he rushed back, finding the room to be empty and the desk in the corner of the room had been knocked over. He ran to the window, looking out. Not a trace. "Dammit!" he grabbed Kiyoshi from near the bed seeing nothing more than Yukiko being grabbing from behind, barely having time to scream and kick the table over when something was stabbed into her neck.

He couldn't make out who had done it but he had a very good idea.

"Tell the Fire Daimyo I've got a matter to attend to and send word to my brother that Yukiko's been kidnapped by the damn Senju," he ordered the stunned servant who had been leading him down to the office.

Without anything else to say he jumped out of the window, annoyed that now he'd have to use his newly acquired tracking skills in such an urgent situation.

He wasn't in love with Yukiko, he denied that completely but what he was now willing to admit to himself was that there was _something _he felt for her and the mere thought of the Senju even touching her was enough to send him on the verge of murderous rage.

Madara was going to make them pay very dearly for this.

* * *

><p><strong><em>*Gasp!* It's all kicking off noooow. Oh, you're still here, Kai. <em>Yes I am. Kay's been writing some strange things about me and you. She thinks we compliment each other Kagi-kun. _You do realise you can't shorten Kagami to Kagi, don't you? That makes no sense. _Neither does the image of Yuki as a fox. Anyway. Kidnapping! _Yea this chapter seemed to be so...fillery until that point. _She...has a habit of doing that. _But at least Mad-kun got laid...again. You wanna ask the question now? _**

**Question: How angry do you think Madara is right now? And if the Senju did kidnap her, which one? Kagi-kun, next chapter?**

**_Right! Next chapter title: It's You! Come On! Kill Me!  
><em>**


	32. It's You! Come On! Kill Me!

Hey! I hate this, I really do. :( I hate hate hate writing action scenes. Every fibre of my being hates them and yet here I am with an almost completely action-packed chapter for you. XD You better appreciate this, it's been killing me! I said I'd sort through Madara's themes to find the ones I'm happiest with. I'll go with...In Keeping Secrets Of Silent Earth: 3 by C&C and probably...Well Yukiko and Madara's theme which is Faint of Hearts by C&C.

Chapter Title: Delirium Trigger by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: OMG Did you read the latest Naruto? Me too...Because I don't own it so I have to wait for it come out. ;) You won't see any Yukiko in there though because I own her.

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Two<strong>

**It's You! Come On! Kill Me!**

_Drip…Drip…Drip…_

Yukiko's head was pounding as her crimson eyes tentatively opened. One small ray of light came through the darkened room, it had rained outside. She could smell the water.

"Kiyoshi…" with her chakra was gone there was no way she could call on her sword.

It was only now that she realised what was going on. She was handcuffed, perhaps chakra bonds she surmised, and she was bound to a thick wooden pole behind her.

Yukiko pulled herself forward; there was no way she was getting out soon.

She heard footsteps down a corridor beyond her prison. She bit her lip in frustration as she eagerly awaited the arrival of her captor.

The door opened and Tobirama, Hashirama and Mito walked in. She couldn't say she was shocked but she did feel…hurt, mainly by the pained look in Hashirama's eyes as he looked at her.

"You'll only be down here a few days, Yuki-chan. Then your aunt will come and collect you, I suggest you get used to being without Madara now," Tobirama explained coldly. Perhaps she'd been around Madara for too long because her immediate reaction was an angry one.

"Why are you getting involved with this? My aunt has no right to make me go with her or to make you do this! I'm an adult!" So why did she feel so helpless? She felt like a child being grounded.

"You did this to yourself," Tobirama hissed before leaving. Hashirama was about to talk to her when he decided to follow his younger brother and Mito dutifully followed.

"Madara-sama…" she whispered, her head tilted back to rest on the wood as she looked out the window so high up it was just above the ceiling. A tiny sparrow was flying around she couldn't help but be mesmerized by its strange patterns before drifting off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Izuna met Madara a few miles away from the Senju Stronghold just 2 days after the kidnapping and brought with him the Uchiha army. The sun was just starting to dip below and soak the world in darkness.<p>

"Nii-san! I didn't quite get it, what's going on?" Izuna asked straight away, grabbing his brother's arm which was shaking with anger.

"They took Yukiko and I'll bet they're going to hand her over to her aunt. So we're getting revenge tonight for our mother and all the others who died when they stormed our Stronghold," Madara growled through gritted teeth.

"Is this about mother or about Yukiko?" Izuna couldn't help but wonder, this was risky and Madara wasn't all into risky.

"Both, you know the drill. Take your squads round west, I'll take mine east and we'll work our way into the centre. Make sure to check all rooms, the sooner Yukiko is found the better," Madara ordered as his brother handed him a scroll.

"Your stuff, Nii-san," the young Uchiha patted his brother on the back before signalling his squads to follow him.

Madara looked at the Senju's Stronghold and the high walls surrounding it. Tonight…Tonight he'd tear it down and all the Senju would burn.

* * *

><p>A yell of pain woke Yukiko up, looking to the window instinctively.<p>

"Die you Senju scum!" she heard an oh-so-familiar voice shout. Her heart nearly skipped a beat.

"Kohaku-san!" she called out, eyes brimming with tears of joy. She wouldn't be helpless for long and she wasn't going to stay with her aunt.

"Yuki-chan, you'll have to bear with me for a moment! I think Madara-sama's squads have already broken in!" he reassured; she heard two more thumps of Senju falling before he knelt down, looking at her through the window.

"Kohaku-san!" she exclaimed again, shifting forward. His smiling aged face had comforted her completely. "How long until they find me, do you think?"

"I'll go send word of your position, Madara-sama wants you out as soon as possible," he got up and was going to head back to Izuna when he heard her talk again.

"No! Don't go!" Yukiko didn't know why but she felt a horrible feeling all of a sudden. She didn't want to be alone again and not being able to see what was going on was frustrating.

"It's war, Yuki-chan, a real battle out here. I must go for the Uchiha and for your sake. You're one of us now and no Uchiha gets left behind, I swear on my pride," he vowed before running off.

Now he mentioned it, she could hear it. Panic seemed to be just beyond that window, cries and explosions, Madara had really brought the hammer down on the Senju but she couldn't blame him. They were the reason his parents were dead. Her only surprise was that he hadn't done this before.

There was no getting back to sleep for Yukiko now, she could hear that death was at her doors. She prayed she'd be out before the smell set in though. It seemed cold but in a ninja's life…War was so routine. Death was as frequent and certain as the sun rising and the sooner you accepted it, the easier it made it.

She'd be leaving soon…So soon…She could almost hear the footsteps coming.

* * *

><p>A huge fireball headed down a corridor, content that it was cleared Madara ran down it having been told Yukiko was just a few more away.<p>

A large tree root burst out of one of the rooms, throwing Madara back a few feet.

"Hashirama…" he snarled as the guilty Senju appeared from behind the root.

"How dare you come here killing my people, Madara-kun? You can't act like an adult, can you? This must be done!" Hashirama snapped, finding himself unusually angry.

"This isn't just about Yukiko…" Madara was cut off, having to dodge the rupturing earth beneath him. He readied his next jutsu. The Senju looking up at him for just a moment…

Hashirama found himself in a warped darkened world, fire raging around him.

"What is…He's never had a genjutsu this strong before…" by the time the world dissolved around him, the Senju had a katana through his abdomen and was staring straight into Madara's eyes. Hashirama grabbed the Uchiha's wrist. "What…was that?" he panted.

"Tch, just a genjutsu, Hashirama, you seem concerned…You and I both know this can't kill you," Madara purred, his left eye twitched subtly but Hashirama noticed it.

"You've damaged yourself though," he pointed out.

"I highly doubt…"

A raging wave came surging down the corridor, Madara withdrew the sword and headed to the stairs as the entire floor he'd just been on was completely flooded.

He turned to one of his men, fighting nearby.

"Let me take over. Go get Kohaku," Madara snapped, pulling the Uchiha out of the fight and punching his Senju enemy in the jaw knocking him out in one hit before Madara skewered the fallen Senju's neck with his katana. "Go now! Be quick!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko managed to get up and use the water to her advantage kicking herself high enough to unhook herself from the wooden pole.<p>

At the same time she doubted she could get up to the air space caused by the window with her hands tied behind her back. However the water pressure had burst the door open and she quickly decided that was her only answer.

It was one of the few times that made Yukiko glad she had been born in the Land of Water. She could hold her breath for a long time compared to those born in other countries, having been taught to since she was young.

She could have attempted to swim but the amount of energy it would take would leave her none left for any potential fights she'd get into.

The blurred liquid world before her was mystifying though; she was left feeling confused and panicked.

Something moved behind her, she knew exactly who it was though. There was only one person who could make this much water so quickly.

* * *

><p>Kohaku ran through the streams of fights and bodies to find Madara, at the same time he kept his senses sharp, avoiding all blows and whizzing shuriken that flew past him.<p>

At last he found Madara through the warring crowd.

"Madara-sama!"

"Find the room above where Yukiko is. We'll head there!" Madara ordered him immediately, slitting the throat of the Senju near him with a kunai.

"It's this way," Kohaku headed down a corridor to the right, his leader following him straight away. It took them some time though, a concerned look on Kohaku's face. "She's fighting Tobirama Senju but she's got barely any chakra. I'm following his signal instead of hers,"

"Hurry up!" Madara barked.

"They're literally below us," Kohaku pointed down at the floor of the corridor.

"Then…stand back,"

* * *

><p>A dodged shuriken attack had sliced through her bonds and Yukiko was free to swim properly. It meant she could move and she could get air from the inches of space up near the ceiling.<p>

She threw several shuriken down at him. Tobirama avoided them just about, a small cut on his shoulder appearing.

Tobirama conjured a jutsu of his own. "Water style: Gunshot!" several high pressured bursts of water burst out towards her. Yukiko swam between the first three but the forth smacked her in the stomach.

She couldn't keep this up…She needed chakra.

Light erupted above her; she evaded the falling debris and swam straight for the light, grabbing the edge of hole in the ceiling and scrambling onto dry land while she could.

"He'll flood this floor too…" she panted, talking mainly to herself as she hadn't noticed her saviours yet. She did, however, when she was thrown over _his_ shoulder before she realised it she screeched, punching his back before noticing the Uchiha fan emblem. "Madara-sama…"

"Kohaku…We're losing too many men and while they are as well neither of our forces can keep this up. We'll order a retreat for now…" Madara demanded, heading for the stairs in case Yukiko had been right and Tobirama was planning on flooding the floor.

The Ginhana suddenly struggled again, reached out to Kohaku who was standing in front of the hole now, about to obey Madara's order.

"Kohaku-san!" Madara heard her screech, he turned as soon as he realised what that could mean.

Kohaku laid on the floor, a pool of blood forming from his neck and gut as Tobirama stood over him, his red eyes trained on Madara and Yukiko.

He barely had time to take in the scene before he had to run.

"No, wait! Madara-sama he could…"

"He's dead. Even if he isn't…He will be in a minute. We've got to get the men we can out of here while we can!"

"Tobirama-kun…" Yukiko wept, she could barely believe that at one point she'd been on this side of the war. "Kohaku-san, I'm so sorry,"

* * *

><p>In one night the Senju and the Uchiha both lost a third of their armies, however the Senju Stronghold was left in ruins and there was no debating who had truly won that battle.<p>

Yukiko remembered the image of the Senju Stronghold burning as she was still being carried over Madara's shoulder. The embers flickering up into the night sky as the moon silently watched. That picture and Kohaku's death had left her feeling numb.

"When did it get like this?" she asked quietly.

"We bear a burden passed down by the Sage of Six Paths. No fate can ever be changed, Yukiko," Madara answered her, his voice cold as ice.

"Tobirama-kun…I've never seen that sort of look from him before. I guess when you've known someone since they were a child you never think they can even have that side to them," she concluded on her own.

"I did tell you…Everyone shows their true colours eventually,"

* * *

><p>Over a week later and Yukiko still hadn't recovered from the shock of her ordeal, spending most of her time in bed despite Madara ordering her not to.<p>

On the fourteenth day…Yukiko had stopped talking completely, buried beneath the duvet she tried to block out the world. She wasn't sure if it was because she knew it wasn't over, because Kohaku had died or because that look in Tobirama's eyes spoke it all. The Senju knew she'd betrayed them, her childhood friends.

"Yukiko…" it was Madara, pulling the duvet back. "Enough of this, it's foolish. Get up and go do _something. _There's a huge pile of paperwork for you to do," he was growing very very impatient despite Aoi's suggestion he let her get over this alone. "Yukiko, if you don't start working I'll drag you out of that bed and…" his threat trailed off as it became increasingly obvious he was yelling at himself. "Fine, stay in bed; just rot away like your pathetic clan!"

Madara slammed the door behind him, his brother at his side in seconds.

"Great comforting, Madara, I thought you lost it there in the middle but that last line about her clan…I don't know _why _she isn't feeling better already!" Izuna's voice thick with a smug, sarcastic tone that made Madara just want to punch him.

"You're the one who plays mind games! What do you suggest I do?" he snapped.

"She needs support from you, I think. Maybe you could actually do something nice for her for a change. Erm…I don't know much about what she likes…Maybe you do?"

The elder brother didn't reply instead came out with.

"I haven't seen Atsuko in a while…Where is she?"

Izuna became nervous all of a sudden, a very strange reaction for him.

"I…I told her she could go on a little holiday, so she's, erm,"

"You never could lie to me about her or Minako. Where is she?" Madara asked again, a much firmer tone of voice this time.

"Atsuko…Me and her aren't talking right now," Izuna relented, there was one person he would be honest to…eventually.

"Tch, why not? Finally take her?"

"Don't talk about her that way, Madara!" Izuna uncharacteristically snapped angrily before sighing. "No…I asked her not to talk to me until I can figure out my feelings for her,"

"Hn, you add more evidence to my argument that as far as women are concerned, feeling nothing for them is much better," Madara boasted proudly until he realised that just moments before he was trying to drag the woman he was falling for out of bed.

"So your feelings for Yukiko don't come into this argument?" Izuna asked, trying to get back at his cruel brother.

"You should go on the assumption that whenever I speak about women…She is excluded from that group because of her immaturity,"

* * *

><p>Hisano sat on the ledge of the window in the grand bedroom she shared with Keiji. The air was crisp from morning rain; she scanned the dusty world beyond. She longed for snow once more and for ice just for something that reminded her of home.<p>

"Hisano…You can't blame what happened with the Senju on yourself," Keiji groaned as he got up, approached his wife as he yawned and stretched. "You're becoming obsessed,"

"This is my only family, Keiji, of course I'm obsessed," she pointed out, barely even looking at him as he ran his hand through her locks of ivory.

"It'll wear you out. I'm only worrying about your health, Hisano," he countered, gently kissing her cheek. "Please understand,"

"I do understand, my love, but…You have no idea how it is when you've got a brother. Nii-sama was truly unique and so is Yukiko, to me at least. She needs to be with her family,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko slept most of the day, barely realising when Madara had come back from training. He quickly disappeared to bathe before leaving the room again.<p>

She slowly started to shut her eyes again before the images of that burning Stronghold and Kohaku flashed up in her mind again, she flinched, curling up into a tight ball.

"_No Uchiha gets left behind…" _

What had they done? She had pleaded with Madara not to leave…Could the old Uchiha had been saved? Or was it as Madara had said and he was dead no matter what they could have done?

She found questions a lot more difficult than the actual trauma of his death.

Yukiko whispered the only words she dared to. "Kohaku-san, forgive me…"

The door opened again and Madara had returned with a bag and mahogany box. She eyed him with suspicion as he sat down next to her on the bed, ever so slightly opening the box.

The smell was instantly recognisable, enough to make her want to drool, her bottom lip trembling as she did so.

"Here, the reason that I'm here, besides the fact that this is _my _room," he informed her, she didn't reply but she hardly needed to. He handed her the bag. "Drink and someone to share it with," he spoke so softly for a change it reminded her of…Now a new image flashed up in her mind. That sweet smile as he'd looked down at her that night at the Fire Daimyo's.

Perhaps she'd been selfish in her grief, having neglected to think of how it must have impacted Madara. Not just as leader of the Uchiha, he must have been affected as a man as well perhaps to the point he'd felt as if he'd failed Kohaku just like she did. She reached out to the box and slowly pulled out a pork bun as she sat up.

He was quick to grab her wrist though.

"You don't get something for nothing, Yukiko," he warned her. Her crimson eyes looked at the pork bun in her hand and then to him.

"…Madara-sama…" she said quietly, managing to smile a little.

"What're you smiling about? Tch, it's those sweet words again...I wasn't lying about that paperwork!" Ah…Normality had returned, had it? Wasn't that how she used to tell herself she had to get over big battles? All she needed to do was keep normality as soon as she was back at the Uchiha Stronghold she had to be back to being Yukiko Ginhana, lover of Madara Uchiha, once more.

"You had plenty of time to get through that work," she stated, taking a bit out of the delicious bun.

"I've got lots of training to do. Paperwork is your job now,"

"Madara-sama, I've got a question. You mentioned the Sage of Six Paths before at the Senju Stronghold..." she trailed off, taking another bite.

"What of it?"

"You don't really believe he existed...I mean..." she let out a quiet scoff of laughter. "Those are just children's tales, we all know the stories but no one really believes that he exists!"

"He existed. I'm surprised that you didn't believe in those stories. I have actual proof he existed," there was silence for a few passing moments. Yukiko gave in.

"What proof, Madara-sama?"

A loud explosion had them both to their feet in seconds, Yukiko grabbing Kiyoshi while Madara ran to the door ordering a nearby guard to tell him what was going on. Another explosion, this time closer to Madara's room, had Yukiko falling to the floor.

"The Senju?" she asked as she got back up, heading out of the door and following Madara.

"I'm not a mind-reader but if it is they will _not _break through our defenses," he growled.

"This is a bit extreme just for a mission to re-capture me, isn't it?" a third explosion now and Yukiko shattered Kiyoshi and turned him into an eagle to go scout the area outside.

"I think it's more to do with the Fire Daimyo," he suggested. She guessed this was about the 'dangerous mission' she'd been told about. But was it really this dangerous?

"What was the mission he gave you?" She persisted, watching Kiyoshi burst through the doors to the rooftop. The pair began to run now, feeling like this was no time to be walking so calmly. It was just a feeling but they both felt like something huge was about to happen. They reached the rooftop, Yukiko gasping in horror.

"You're right...This isn't about me anymore, is it, Madara-sama?" she hissed, the Senju army surrounding the Uchiha Stronghold.

"No, Yukiko, this is because of the declaration of war between the Fire Daimyo and the Hot Water Daimyo," Madara explained, whistling suddenly. Hoshi swooped down from the sky and followed by Kiyoshi and Mishka. But her aunt's bird didn't attempt to attack her at all, instead she sat on Madara's shoulder.

"War? Between..."

_"To protect you, I believe..." _Madara hadn't wanted her to know he was going to war with her uncle and aunt.

"Yukiko, I..." he was about to give her an order when she leapt down, skimming the side of the building to keep her at a slow enough speed she'd land without hurting herself.

Stupid...Naive...Foolish...She cursed herself over and over again as she made her way over the wall of the Stronghold. Several kunai and shuriken thrown at her which she deflected with a wall of ice. With bitter tears in her eyes she formed Kiyoshi back into sword form...

She could sense that Madara was heading for her. It was like standing on the edge of the ocean...She took in a deep breath and the world seemed to slowed and then all that was left was...to jump in.

Their alliance ended, Yukiko was ready...Ready for war. She would not let anyone she cared about die again, the thought of that look in Tobirama's eyes...Kohaku's body...What more did she need to make this decision?

It was over. No Uchiha left behind this time.

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><p><em><strong>*Bursts into study* Kai, is that chapter done? <strong>_**Yes, you're late. I was just getting the segment done. What happened to you? _Woke up late, Kakuzu wanted me to do some shopping for various things..._That doesn't answer my question. _You do not want to go shopping with Kakuzu. Someone ends up dead and everything has to be bargain prices..._Well...I'll talk about the chapter then. _Interesting?_ Finally some war! _War solves nothing. _Excuse me? _Sorry...Spending too much time with Itachi lately. _Is this some sort of shameful plug for your story? _Perhaps...I've not read the chapter so what else am I supposed ta do? _Well anyway, since I have read the chapter. Perhaps you should make up for Kagi's shamefulness by reviewing this chapter for Kay! :) _Stop calling me that. You're worse than the Shrub..._**

**Question! Are you looking forward to this war? X3 **

**Next Chapter Title: Outnumbered And Torn!**


	33. Outnumbered And Torn!

Detective Prince is in the house. So this chapter has taken me just over a week to get done. Please forgive me! :( I hate action though. I'm terrible at it. Atsuko's theme is Isabelle by Gregory & The Hawk. :) Lovely song but very sad.

Chapter Title: We're still on Eternal Bliss and Darkness so it's Delirium Trigger.

Disclaimer: Oh wait. I've got a text. Dammit Kishimoto won't let me own Naruto but he says that owning Yukiko and her entourage is okay. Yay!

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><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Three<strong>

**Outnumbered And Torn!**

Madara wasn't quite sure what to do. Every thought in his head was telling him to drag Yukiko out of the mess she seemed to have gotten herself in but at the same time he needed to rally his own troops.

Begrudgingly he left Yukiko to it and headed for the main gates of the Stronghold, finding that Izuna was already there with some of his squad.

"Nii-san, I don't know if you've heard but the Senju are here!" he exclaimed.

"This isn't time for jokes, Izuna. We've already got a plan in place to defend the Stronghold, let's go through this like a drill,"

* * *

><p>"Ice style: Rising Thorn jutsu!" Yukiko wasn't wasting any time. She wanted the Senju to retreat at once and she didn't want them to be 'people' as strange as that seemed. The quicker she killed them the less she'd think 'I've seen him around the Senju Stronghold…' they had to be faceless to her.<p>

"Kiyoshi!" she broke Kiyoshi and transformed him into a tiger to help her fight, she was relying more on ninjutsu for the moment.

It wasn't long before Yukiko and Kiyoshi were joined by Aoi and Takehiko. None of them mentioned the fact that they were a member down, they felt it but there was no time for discussion.

"Tobirama Senju is heading here," Aoi warned her, she felt a pit in her stomach as he said this.

"Leave Tobirama-k…Tobirama to me," she ordered. If there was anything she wouldn't allow it would be that Takehiko got hurt. Aoi seemed to read her mind on this though.

"Takehiko, let's go this way," he grabbed the teen's arm, who gave Yukiko a frightened look.

"Yuki-sensei!"

"You're part of a sensory squad. You shouldn't be fighting anyway, Takehiko-kun. Go with Aoi-kun," Yukiko reassured before releasing her ice threads to track down Tobirama.

* * *

><p>"Nothing comes as naturally as killing Senju, eh brother?" Madara boasted, glancing at Izuna with a smirk.<p>

"I wish they'd make it more entertaining though…They fight like children and bark like rabbits!" Izuna exclaimed, the pair of them standing right before Hashirama, taunting him.

"You heal fast, Hashirama, that's one of the things I hate about you…" Madara trailed off his eyes skyward for a moment. "Tch, we'll make this short,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko ran, apparently Tobirama had guessed she would follow him and was leading her away from the army. She didn't mind, it meant less causalities.<p>

After a few minutes though she realised he was heading to the lake near the cabin. Bad move. A water user near a large amount of water…If she hadn't inherited her mother's ice affinity Yukiko may have been scared.

Instead Yukiko had faith in herself and Kiyoshi.

And then she found him, standing in the centre of the lake with a serious expression and folded arms.

"Leave with us…that's all we asked you, Yukiko," he began with a deep breath in as Yukiko approached him, Kiyoshi drawn.

"You asked me to leave my friends and Madara-sama; I'm not prepared to do this. You've mistaken the situation, Tobirama. This isn't my prison, it's my home and you killed my friend in cold blood…That's not like you," Yukiko explained…Cold…Cold…This was no time for weakness.

"It's not like you to go against me and Nii-sama. What is it about Madara?" he asked, seeming genuinely curious…Not concerned, just curious. She laughed softly in response.

"I doubt you'd know. You've labelled the Uchiha bloodthirsty murderers yet Madara risked his army to save me from you and in response you killed Kohaku-san unnecessarily. Who is the murderer in that situation?"

He seemed thrown off by her question for a moment. Yukiko shook her head. He was barely 19…Tobirama wasn't in a position to comprehend what she was asking him anyway. The fact she was only just 3 years his senior didn't seem like much but she was vastly more experience in politics, philosophy and war than he was.

"I'm not going to kill you, Tobirama, but I will force you back. You will _not _harm any more of my squad _or _my friends and most of all you're not going to hurt Madara-sama," Yukiko leapt forward, taking a swipe at Tobirama…Water clone. She turned around to see no one was around to be seen.

"One more place…" she whispered, weaving several handsigns. "Ice style: Flowing Ice jutsu," she smacked her hand on the water's surface, the ice spread out across the lake until the entire surface was frozen.

From behind her a large water dragon burst through her ice though, heading straight for her with his jaws wide open.

Kiyoshi shattered, forming a shield to defect the dragon as Yukiko prepared her ice threads to trace Tobirama.

Three more dragons rose up around her; she covered her eyes from the broken ice falling around her before running straight for one of them.

He was trying to force her to move above where he was and she wasn't about to do that.

"Wind style: Wind cutter!" she sent several bursts to wind to slice the compressed water, sending Kiyoshi down the hole it had made as she turned the sword into a shark.

Yukiko kept moving, trusting that Kiyoshi was doing the same under the ice however she was frustrated at not being able to see.

Suddenly Tobirama got out of the water, his arm bleeding.

"Kiyoshi!" she cried, summoning her blade back to her. Nothing, she glance at the empty handle was holding. "Kiyoshi?" in her confusion, the Senju send a high pressured bubble of water at her, knocking her off her feet.

"He's been sealed, temporarily. You forget that we used to train together, you have nothing without Kiyoshi,"

He was right, Kiyoshi was all she relied on usually and without him she felt…powerless.

"_You're so proud…" _

Yukiko gritted her teeth, she was proud…And nothing was more shameful than lying on this sheet of ice being upset because her main weapon was gone for now. She pulled herself up, pulling out several shuriken from one pocket and a bottle from her other.

"This is over…" he sneered, several objects bursting out of the ice.

"Ch-chains?" immediately her hands and legs were bound and pulled her back down onto the ice. "Mito…" she turned her head to the edge of the lake where Mito was standing, all Yukiko could make out was a small frown on the woman's face. "I failed."

* * *

><p>Aoi felt a change in chakra, it was minor and went unnoticed by Takehiko but he was finely tuned to it.<p>

"Takehiko, go into the Stronghold, I've got to go deal with something," he ordered, the teen went to argue however he quickly realised Aoi wasn't the person to argue with.

Once Takehiko was gone, Aoi made his way to Madara's chakra signature and found he had just pulled out of the fight with Hashirama, leaving it to Izuna.

"Madara-sama!" Aoi yelled, pulling his chocolate brown hair out of his eyes and tying it up. "Yukiko-san is in trouble,"

"I guessed, this'll be quicker than my other plan. Go on," Madara offered Aoi to lead him to down to the lake.

"Madara-sama, it's Tobirama Senju and Mito Uzumaki up ahead," Aoi warned, glancing behind him.

"This won't take long," his leader promised him as they reached the lake, Yukiko still chained down to the ice, turning her head to see Madara. "If you'd trained, you wouldn't be in this position,"

"Madara-sama, perhaps we could discuss the matter of my training later," she suggested, not taking kindly to his cold tone.

"Beg me to save you and I'll ignore that rudeness,"

"I hardly think this is the time for chit-chat, Madara," Tobirama said suddenly, pulling their attention from each other to the Senju.

"Madara-sama…He honestly looks like he thinks he can defeat you," Yukiko pointed out, frustrated at her current predicament.

Aoi glanced at Mito, deciding that while Madara dealt with Tobirama he'd deal with her.

"Aoi-kun, careful, she's an Uzumaki and not one to be taken lightly plus she's Hashirama-san's wife," Yukiko warned, wondering how long she'd have to stay chained to the ice. She sighed. "Kiyoshi!"

Madara glanced back, the ice breaking underneath her, Kiyoshi ripping through the chains seeming to be more vicious than usual, perhaps in anger at what the Senju had done to him and his master.

Yukiko clambered onto a piece of ice before freezing the lake over again, noting Madara's sceptical look.

"You don't want him have access to water, Madara-sama," she advised coldly, Kiyoshi reforming on his handle as she ran to join Madara.

"I'll take you two down for the Senju," Tobirama vowed but he was nervous to be looking at Madara without the safety of his brother behind him.

Madara disappeared in a flicker, appearing behind the Senju as Yukiko leapt forward to swipe at him with Kiyoshi who shattered just before hitting him.

The Senju ducked, trying to get some distance from the pair however the ice particles followed, frost covering his body and growing until he was trapped in a block of ice.

The Uchiha wasted no time in shattering the ice though, one powerful kick breaking a couple of Tobirama's ribs while the ice cut any exposed skin he had.

"Deadly Hail!" this jutsu he managed to dodge. He'd lured Yukiko here to gain an advantage by separating her but was now finding himself on the defensive since he was separated from Hashirama while she had Madara with her. He looked over towards Mito who was struggling to fend off Aoi's ruthless attacks as well.

This was no way to win a fight, that was for sure and he was certain that Hashirama was facing Izuna. Madara had been well prepared for a fight with the Senju on his own turf and now it made it seem as though the Senju were the ones who were the fools.

Too well prepared was the problem with the Uchiha. Madara wasn't the hot-headed idiot people had him pinned as, instead he was allowed to be hot-headed because he'd thought of every conceivable route in a problem and was ready accordingly.

"Mito!" Tobirama yelled, as he made his way over to her.

"Do we chase them, Madara-sama?" Yukiko asked quietly with a sigh of relief as they pulled back.

"No. We'll wait to..." Madara fell to one knee onto the ice, his hand rubbing his eyes.

"Madara-sama..."

"Go get Izuna. The Senju will pull back for now," Yukiko refused to move as he said this though, worried he'd overdone it. "Dammit Yukiko! Go get Izuna!"

She managed to order Aoi to take Madara to the cabin nearby and make her way back to the Stronghold which, while damaged, was standing tall as the Senju made their way back to their Stronghold. She found Izuna making orders at the gate, he seemed confused by her concerned expression though.

"Yuki-chan, something bothering you?"

"Madara-sama needs your help. I don't know why but he just snapped at me to go get you," she explained, looking behind her to make sure the Senju were actually retreating.

"He did what? Alright, can you handle things here?" Izuna asked, throwing his ninja tool bag to her. She nodded and watched him leave before starting the clean-up however all the while she couldn't shake one of her 'feelings' away.

* * *

><p>Atsuko wandered aimlessly through the Stronghold. She knew she should be helping the squads repairing the walls of the Stronghold but she just couldn't motivate herself to do so. Izuna had thrown her off track completely so instead she was wandering around in something akin to self-pity.<p>

* * *

><p><em>"What do you need to talk about, Izuna-sama?" Atsuko asked, feeling unnerved by his sudden seriousness. <em>

_"The other day I shouldn't have done that without asking you at least or...I don't know. I'm not my brother, I'm not good at these things. I'm over-thinking..." he paced up and down now as he spoke, toying his a few strands of hair. "Actually...Just let me think,"_

_"I'm confused, Izuna-sama, think about what?" she hated seeing him so flustered, it was completely unusual for most people to see him like this but it usually happened when he was thinking about Madara. _

_"This will sound mean. Leave me alone for a month, then come talk to me. I'll know what to say then. That did sound mean..." and then he simply walked away._

* * *

><p>She hadn't seen Izuna since then, apparently he'd been serious about completely avoiding her.<p>

The maid was so wrapped up in her thoughts she barely realised Yukiko had appeared behind her and was talking to her.

"So now I'm here, Atsuko?" Yukiko laughed as the maid turned a baffled look on her face. "You didn't hear what I said at all, did you? Never mind. All I'm saying is that Izuna-san and Madara-sama are up at the cabin, apparently Madara-sama is injured somehow and I was wondering if you could go up there and check on them. I would myself but I'm swamped with this clean-up job," the Ginhana explained quickly.

"O-of course, Yukiko-sama, I suggest you get Genshi, Aoi and Takehiko to help you with this job," she advised before heading out of the Stronghold.

The Senju had blown several holes in the walls however according to Madara's firm rule, if you're not injured enough to go to the infirmary you should repair all walls at once, these repairs were to be looked over by a 'person of authority' meaning Madara, Izuna or a Council member however Yukiko was also considered one now as well.

It wasn't a job that anyone would envy and basically meant Yukiko would be standing around for the rest of the evening and night ordering people to work.

Atsuko made sure she was out of the way quickly however she felt someone grab her arm.

"Atsuko-san, we just got word from Aoi-san. No one is to go the cabin, not even you or Yukiko-sama," Hayate informed her, a grave look on his face. "Apparently, Madara-sama has been taken ill,"

"Ill? What kind of ill?" she asked urgently. Madara, as most Uchiha knew, didn't get 'ill'. Ever. Even if he did he wouldn't say anything and no one would realise. Something strange was going on.

"You've got as much information as we do now," the guard sighed, shaking his head. "This can't be good,"

"Have you told Yukiko-sama?"

"N-no, I should, shouldn't I? I'll go find her," Hayate muttered, turning to leave. "And Atsuko-san, I mean it. No one is to go to that cabin. Most of us don't even know where it is however I know you do. We should just pray that our honourable leader gets better quickly,"

* * *

><p>Aoi found Yukiko before Hayate did, she was managing to a quick nap as the night rolled in.<p>

"Yukiko-san," he knelt beside her, lightly shaking her. She shot up, grabbing Kiyoshi before coming to her senses.

"Aoi-kun, what's up?" she asked, slightly embarrassed she'd been caught off-guard and in retaliation had decided to pretend that it had never happened.

"I've got word from Izuna-sama. No one is to come to the cabin as Madara-sama is sick," Aoi dutifully recited. He wasn't quite sure how Yukiko would take this news though so it surprised him when she frowned and said

"No one? At all? Not even me?"

"No one at all, Yukiko-san. I'm sorry but these were Izuna-sama's orders. He did specify that you and Atsuko-chan were definitely not to," he felt slightly bad but orders were orders, Yukiko just wasn't accustomed to them yet, even after all this time.

"I guess I'm in charge again. There's no point everyone working through the night after such a sudden battle, can you tell them to relax, eat and get some rest? We'll continue repairs in the morning," she got up and walked back into the Stronghold, Aoi following her. "How's Takehiko-kun?"

"He's fine, he didn't get involved in any battles after you told him not to. Raimei," Aoi hissed suddenly, noting Madara's ex-fiancée standing at the end of the corridor.

"You don't get along with her?" in all fairness, Raimei seemed a difficult person to get along with however Aoi didn't seem to like or dislike many people. Nearly everyone was just neutral to him so for him to suddenly become angry was a rarity.

"No. I don't trust her and neither should you, Yukiko-san," he warned rather ominously.

Yukiko didn't make a reply, she knew Raimei was irritating but would hardly call her untrustworthy.

Raimei didn't actually say anything as the two walked past but instead gave Aoi a scornful glare which he more than gladly returned that only added to Yukiko's confusion.

"Did you two have a big falling out or something?" she asked as soon as Raimei was out of earshot.

"It's nothing for you to worry about Yukiko-san, it won't affect my work," was all he said before leading her to Madara's quarters. "Sleep well, Yukiko-san," and with that Aoi curtly left.

Yukiko sighed, getting out Kibou and lying on the bed with him.

"Madara-sama is ill. I suppose he has too much pride to let other people see him like that but still...I'm really worried, Kibou," she got up to get undressed, the rabbit staying beside her as she did so. "You worried too?" he tilted his head, twitching his nose. "I should bathe first then sleep,"

* * *

><p>"Nii-san, please stay calm...I'm trying to think," Izuna comforted, wiping the sweat from his unconscious brother's brow. "I don't know what to do. I really don't," he picked up the locket he'd pulled out of Madara's pocket, looking at the picture of the parents he didn't remember.<p>

"We can't keep this a secret much longer. If Yukiko is as smart as I think she is, she'll already be suspicious and then what? She'll want to help and she can't. I...I don't think anyone can help you anymore," Izuna admitted holding back bitter tears as his grip on the locket increased. "Tell me what to do. Please...I can't do this without you, Nii-san. I'm such a child..."

A ruffling of feathers from the window made him jump, turning but the bird was gone. "Just a bird...I'll check the Archives tomorrow. There must be _something _I can do,"

* * *

><p><strong>Oh! Oh! Oh! Nice. See that, Kagi, that's a plot! <em>I didn't recognise it. It's been so long since I've seen one that I suppose I must've forgotten this had one. <em>I know. It's truly a rare thing, behold it while you can. _Kai, you need to come to my story. It'd be so much fun. I'm sure Itachi would loathe you. _Who? _Oh no one important. Back to this chapter though, you should ask a question now. _Yes!**

**Question! Kay would like prediction on what you think is going to happen! Like now!**

**_Next chapter title is: Will You Pray It Be The End?_**

**Only two more chapters of this arc. The next arc is called..._Spoilers! _No...Give me a moment. XXX XXXXXX XX XXXXX XXX XXXXX. First person to tell me what that is gets a hug and a kitten. **


	34. Will You Pray It Be The End?

Why, hello thur. :) It's raining really hard as I'm writing this. Sorry it may have been a while, this chapter took longer than expected. I got Writer's Block part way through and couldn't continue. :( But now I'm here. :D I finally thought of a theme for Izuna. Master of the Puppets by Metallica. :) I don't know why but it just sort of reminds me of him. More Sasori but Sasori isn't in this. XD

Chapter Title: Delirium Trigger by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I'm watching Return of the King right now...It's up to that part when Aragorn says Naruto doesn't belong to me but my characters and plot do...Oh you know the part I'm talking about ;)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Four<strong>

**Will You Pray It Be The End?**

Yukiko had promised herself she wouldn't but she couldn't help it. After sending Kiyoshi to check on the brothers how could she not try to assist? And so she pulled herself out of bed early and made her way down to the Archives, sitting at Tsukiko's desk and waited.

Usually she was opposed to using her connection with Kiyoshi for spying however with both Madara and Izuna gone she was finding it very difficult not to and all she wanted to know was what was going on.

The hours ticked on and she began to wonder whether it'd be worth it when the door to the Archives opened.

Her heart started beating faster as she stood up. Why should she be scared? It was Izuna, the same Izuna she'd always known and not trusted.

He seemed very surprised to see her and the bags under his bloodshot eyes told her more than she needed to know.

"You've been crying, Izuna-san, that's not like you. How's Madara-sama?" she asked, trying to sound casual. He knew she came down here from time to time so why shouldn't she be here now?

"You heard the news, Madara's not well so I've just been helping him," he snapped, glancing around for a scroll to help him.

"What's wrong with him? It must be serious if you were up all night crying, perhaps I could help,"

"I doubt it," he scoffed, grabbing a scroll and pushing past her to sit down and read.

"Izuna-san, you should at least tell Atsuko, she's worried about you. I saw her yesterday and she looked miserable," Yukiko pointed out, having already been told what had gone on between the two.

"Yukiko, stay out of my business. Just because you're with my brother doesn't mean you can start mothering me!" he snapped angrily.

"I'm worried about Madara-sama and Atsuko. Is it so hard for you to believe that? I don't want to mother you, Izuna-san. I'm only asking to know what's going on," Yukiko reasoned, unsure why Izuna seemed so uncharacteristically angry. She had to remind herself she had no idea what it was like having a sibling however she was experiencing what it was like when someone you care about fell ill.

"He's sick…And I don't know how I can make him better or even if I can. It's too far gone, there's nothing I can do…" Izuna admitted with such a solemn tone that she immediately feared the worst.

"You're saying that Madara-sama is going to die?"

"No, something far worse for an Uchiha. I'm sure Madara's told you before," he paused for a moment, taking in her blank expression. "When Madara and I were…well Madara was forced to kill his best friend due to a mutiny threat against out leader at the time, Hiroshi. After that Madara gained a strange power, almost like...A higher level of the Sharingan and it's called the Mangekyou Sharingan, he's used it on you once when he put you in an unbreakable genjutsu,"

"I remember his Sharingan morphing but I don't know much about it to begin with so I just assumed it was normal. Well, normal for Madara-sama," Yukiko recalled that horrible place with a shudder. "What's that got to do with what's going on now?"

"I gained this power too and using it Madara and I took over the clan. But this Mangekyou Sharingan comes with a price, the more you use it…If you use it you start to lose your sight. Madara's eyesight has rapidly deteriorated because of all these battles and now he's…Now Madara's blind," Izuna explained wearily. "Like I said, there's nothing we can do,"

"But Madara-sama told me that an Uchiha would rather die than lose the Sharingan!" Yukiko exclaimed, horrified. She couldn't quite understand why he'd done something that would risk his eyesight.

"An Uchiha would…Not Madara. This power has kept our clan safe and, to Madara at least, that's much more important. But without Madara heading our clan, I don't know what will happen. I mean I could take over but then what? The same will happen to me," Izuna had his head in his hands at this point, trying to think straight.

"Carry on researching, I'll go check on Madara-sama," was all she could manage and to her surprise, he didn't argue.

"Thank you," she heard him mutter as she ran out of the Archives.

Despite Kiyoshi showing her how Madara had been the night before she wasn't really prepared for actually seeing him in person.

Yukiko nervously opened the door. He was lying on the futon, his back to her.

"Did Izuna send you?" Madara asked, his voice quiet compared to usual.

"You knew it was me?" she knelt down beside him, her hand gently placed on his shoulder.

"You're lighter than Izuna so your footsteps aren't as loud. Kiyoshi was here yesterday as well. I don't need your pity, I did this to myself," he growled however at the same time he took her hand in his.

"I realise that, Izuna-san told me everything. If we're…The Uchiha…are really at war with the Senju over this Fire and Hot Water feud then if the Senju will attack again, who will lead the army? Izuna-san is in no condition to, he's exhausted himself," what Yukiko really wanted to say was 'Who's going to lead the Uchiha if you're blinded?' but she didn't have the heart to.

"You can't. I'm forbidding you to go on the battlefield," he snapped suddenly.

"But Madara-sama…"

"No, this is an order. You dare set foot into a fight again without my permission I'll…" his threat was lost though, he'd turned to face her and the harsh realisation was that there was nothing he could do. He clenching his lightless eyes shut, his grip on her hand tightening.

"Perhaps Aoi-kun or Genshi-san for now, until we find something for your eyes, or maybe both just to be sure," she reasoned, they were the only two she would trust with such a job and knew Madara thought highly of both of them.

"Get them both to. Shouldn't you be doing paperwork?" he asked and yet at the time he hadn't let go of her hand still.

"I can get Takehiko-kun to do that, it would be good training if Atsuko helped him as well," she sighed, unwilling to leave his side now she was here.

"If you're going to be a pain go get the pills Izuna put on the desk," he reluctantly let go of her hand now as she jumped up and read the bottle.

"What're these for, Madara-sama? I've never seen pills like these before," it was a small brown bottle and inside were tiny red capsules. One sniff told her they weren't sleeping tablets of any sort.

"They're painkillers. Stop asking so many questions,"

"You're in pain?" she was about to throw them to him before remembering what was going on and knelt back beside him, giving him the bottle.

"No. But I have a feeling I will be now I've got you here, I can already feel a headache coming on," but despite what he was saying he seemed hesitant to tell her to leave, repositioning where he was lying so that his head was in her lap. Or maybe he just didn't trust her enough that he wanted to know where she was at all times. Either way the whole situation was making Yukiko feel uneasy, how had she missed this whole thing happening right in front of her?

Or had she?

It had been a slight observation but she realised it had definitely been a sign.

"Paperwork…" she muttered. "Madara-sama, you've always had help with your paperwork. Before me it was Raimei, is that because of your eyesight?" as soon as she said it she wished she hadn't, it had been better if she had just been blissfully unaware.

"Tch, I hate you damn kunoichis, just shut up and let me rest,"

* * *

><p>Izuna read piles and piles of scrolls and records, to the point where he was so tired and had his head on the desk using his arms as a pillow to rest.<p>

Even in his sleep though, all he could think about was his older brother.

"_Nii-san, how comes we have to steal food from here? There's a big hall out there where everyone else eats!" 8 year old Izuna pouted, keeping watch at the kitchen door. _

"_Because I'm not going in there, too many people and all of them sit there with their happy families and they look at us like we're…Like we're infected with something!" Madara snapped as he grabbed a few more loaves of bread and stuffed them into his back. _

"_I'd give anything for a hot meal though,"_

"_I cook you meals! Just be glad of what we've got!" he leapt off the cabinet and grabbed Izuna's hand. _

"_You only cook some…"_

"_Hey! You two, you stealing meals again?" a girl's voice came from the end of the hall, Minako Uchiha standing proudly with her arms folded. _

"_Shut up, Mina, it's hardly stealing," Madara retorted instantly. She laughed, her expression softening instantly. Atsuko poking her head around the corner warily. _

"_I know, but father's getting annoyed with all the book balancing that comes from accounting you two breaking in and stealing food every three days," she pointed out with a smug grin. "Just come eat with us for a change,"_

"_We're fine; we don't need sensei's charity. All I need him for is training me to take over this clan already!" _

"_Madara-kun, you talk big. People would laugh if they didn't know you had the chakra to back up your claims. You told Izu-kun you're off to war in two days?" Madara didn't answer her question, choosing to scowl at her instead. _

"_Nii-san…You're leaving?" _

"_Onee-chan! That's not fair!" Atsuko yelled, still not having the courage to walk down to the trio. _

"_I'm only telling him because Madara-kun won't. Izu-kun, you'll have to stay with us while your brother's away…" _

"_Minako! Atsuko!" she heard her father's called, turning to go back into the hall but not before smiling at Izuna. _

"_It'll be fine, Izu-kun; your brother is going to protect us all," _

* * *

><p>Izuna stirred from his sleep, looking to the side where Atsuko was stood reading a scroll. As soon as she realised he was awake though she jumped, dropping the scroll and turning to leave.<p>

He grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to the desk.

"Atsuko, I need your help," he admitted, his voice quiet and weak.

"Izuna-sama, what's wrong?" he couldn't hide his worries and fears when he was a child and now he was struggling to do it again.

"Madara's gone blind and I don't think there's anything I can do," she didn't say anything for a minute. Their leader? Blind? Surely this was one of Izuna's jokes. Yet Izuna never joked about Madara…Not like this.

"We'll have to try something. I think I know a healer up in the north field of this country that has been doing some research into blindness. Mina was supposed to go see her at some point so perhaps I can go and see if it's worth trying," Atsuko explained slowly, trying to remember where exactly in the north fields the healer was said to live.

"A healer? Like a medical-nin?" he asked, getting up. She nodded. "Well, we can try, I'd try anything right now," he smiled, genuinely, at her.

"I'll leave soon, do you mind if I take an escort with me just in case?" Izuna thought for a moment, not liking the idea of her going on her own and yet at the same time…

"I'll tell Yuki-chan to go with you. She's more than capable of taking you pretty much up the road," he laughed. An answer, possibly, to his brother's troubles. Oh he could…"Atsuko, I'm sorry but I'll have to do this again," he sighed before gently placing his hands on her cheeks. "Okay?"

The maid eyed him for a moment with hesitation before nodding. With her permission he gently kissed her, not for long though not wanting to frighten her or remind her of Kouta at all.

"Thanks, I hope this healer knows what they're doing,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sighed, the painkillers Madara had taken had made him tired and he'd soon fallen asleep giving Yukiko some time to think about the current ordeal.<p>

She never expected this to happen and he had been coping well, apparently, despite the fact that he'd been going blind all along. And she was left finding another sign of his blindness when they were last at the Fire Daimyo's. Had he really forgotten what room they'd been in or was it just that he couldn't see where they had been?

She sighed again, gently stroking his hair as his head was still on her lap. This wasn't like Madara at all. He was drained and so withdrawn.

A light knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts. "Come in,"

Izuna and Atsuko came in, a small smile on Izuna's face as he spoke. "Atsuko thinks she knows someone who could help Madara however you'll need to escort her up there for me."

"I…" she glanced down at Madara's sleeping face. "How far is it?"

"It's only a couple of days there and back," Atsuko reassured her. "We won't be gone long, Yukiko-sama, I promise,"

"We'll take the open paths, it'll be quicker if we use Kiyoshi," Yukiko agreed reluctantly. Only a couple of days…So why was she feeling so uneasy? She'd been away from Madara for much longer.

"Well, I've got a few different medicines to try," Izuna placed a box on the desk before turning back to Yukiko. "If you're that worried, I'd leave now, Yuki-chan,"

She glared at him before slowly getting up, making sure she didn't wake the sleeping Uchiha and then grabbing Kiyoshi and leaving.

Atsuko went to say something to Izuna but was cut off by the realisation that Yukiko was going to leave without her.

Izuna pulled out a syringe from the box.

"Nii-san…I hope this will all work,"

* * *

><p>"Yukiko-sama!" Atsuko called, trying to keep up with the Ginhana who was running for the nearest clearing out of the woods.<p>

"Atsuko, we need to hurry up," she ordered despite knowing that Madara's eyesight couldn't possibly get any worse she just felt like this wasn't a time to be taking things slow. "How far do we have to go?"

"About 70 miles north," they reached the edge of the woods after 10 more minutes and then Yukiko showed the maid what she'd meant by 'use Kiyoshi'.

She formed the sword into a horse and leapt up onto his back, holding her hand out to the maid.

"You can ride a horse, Yukiko-sama?" she asked, mildly impressed however the Ginhana shook her head.

"Just Kiyoshi as he's under my control I don't need to do anything really. He knows what needs to be done and so he does it," Yukiko explained as Atsuko managed to get up onto Kiyoshi.

"I hope this works..." the maid whispered as she held onto Yukiko's shirt.

"Hoping does nothing if you don't back it up with actions is what my father used to tell me. Come on, Kiyoshi!"

* * *

><p><em>"This...Darkness..." Madara panted, falling to his knees. "It's suffocating..." <em>

_"It's just a dream," his brother's voice reasoned with him. "Blindness can't harm you,"_

_"I'm in pain..."_

_"You're losing your mind," Yukiko gently countered. "Poor Madara-sama, how could the Uchiha possibly survive without you?" _

_"They'll have me, Yuki-chan and so will you. Although...Madara will never be able to protect us again, you realise that?" Izuna sighed, his voice filled with a sadness that Madara despised. _

_"A leader is nothing without people to protect...The darkness won't be lifted until a new light is found," Yukiko explained with a weary tone. "Perhaps the light of a brother can shine through this darkness..."_

* * *

><p>"Nii-san?" Izuna shook him awake, grabbing a bottle of tablets. "Are you in pain, Nii-san?" he asked urgently, Madara could feel his brother's trembling hands on his shoulders.<p>

"Pain...No, not pain, I think I've taken too many of those damn pills. It's clouding my judgement," Madara groaned, his head feeling as though it was spinning. "Where's Yukiko?"

"Yukiko and Atsuko have gone north to go look for a healer who has been researching a cure for blindness. They won't be long," Izuna answered quietly, placing a shaking hand on Madara's forehead.

"You sent them away alone? There may be Senju scouts around!" he growled, sitting up.

"Your paranoia is going to kill you one day, Nii-san," the younger Uchiha pointed out with a tut.

"If I am paranoid, Izuna, it is only so I am never caught off-guard and if I am never caught off-guard I'll always be prepared to fight, it's the basics of being a leader and _not _dying," Madara scolded, angered by his brother's calmness. "Send out Yukiko's squad to find them!"

"You're in no position to be making any orders, Madara. You're clearly falling into despair,"

"Like Hell I am! I'm still your older brother and leader of the Uchiha!" Madara roared now finding himself fed up and frustrated yet he could hear his brother's concern.

"You're not fit to be a leader, Madara...If we can't find some way of restoring your sight then...I don't know what will happen," Izuna admitted, clenching his fists as he fought back bitter tears.

"And just what will you do about my sight, Izuna? What _can _you do?" Madara pressed him.

"I'd do anything, Nii-san, you know that."

* * *

><p><strong>You're here on time then, Kagami. <em>I sure am! Itachi let me get off work early to come do this. <em>Isn't that time-travel? _Yup, our segments have never made sense, eh? _A lot going on here, none of it very clear yet. _Hey, isn't next chapter the end of this arc? _Yes, it is. I've been reading over the plan for this story and I'm really interested in the next chapter and following arc. _Shall we tell them the arc title yet? _No. Not yet. You can do the question this time. **

_**Question: Got any guesses for next chapter/arc? :)**_

**Next Chapter: Oh Dear God! I Don't Feel Alive!**


	35. Oh Dear God! I Don't Feel Alive!

Long chapter this time to celebrate the end of this arc. :) It's all getting so dramatic now and emotions are running so high because of Madara's condition that it made this arc VERY difficult for me to write and now I've ended it I actually feel physically drained. That and all the action scenes. *sleeps* Kai's theme? Numb by Linkin Park. It seems cliché but if you think about his background it makes sense. "All I want to do is be more like me and be less like you."

Chapter Title: Delirium Trigger by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: My cast came off yesterday and on it was written. I don't own Naruto but do own my OCs and plot. What a strange thing to write on a cast...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Five<strong>

**Oh Dear God! I Don't Feel Alive!**

Kiyoshi's heavy clunking hooves on the ground as he galloped down the dirt paths leading north was the only sound to be heard between the two women. Both were deep in thought and both were anxious to get to this healer as quick as possible and get back to the cabin.

"Do you really think this will work?" Yukiko asked suddenly, sounding tired.

"We've got no other options, Yukiko-sama. Mina was working on cures for blindness and trusted this healer. He's apparently very difficult to work with though. He much prefers to work on his own," Atsuko explained, watching the sun climb higher into the sky. She tugged her hair out of the bun she usually kept it in and found herself much more relaxed than she had been in a long time. Bold, even. "Yukiko-sama, may I ask you something?"

"Hm? Well it's not like either of us have anything else to do. What's wrong, Atsuko?"

"Last time we spoke like this I asked you if you had any feelings for Madara-sama, I feel I should ask you again. What're your feelings towards Madara-sama?" Atsuko was being cautious but the Ginhana surprised her.

"Hm, I've been wondering that myself really. And now I find myself dropping everything to help him. I'd love to be distant with him but every time I try he surprises me. He can be so kind at times and at other times he can be ruthless. Can I love one and not the other?" at this point it seemed like Yukiko was more talking to herself than Atsuko. "No, that'd be a lie…I think…I think I love both perhaps for different reasons. This is all speculation on my part, I still know nothing of love," she dryly admitted with a small smile.

"I wouldn't say that, Yukiko-sama, I think you know far more about love than you're letting on now. You think that now you're quite a balanced individual. Raimei was quite a possessive lover," at the mere mention of Raimei's name, Yukiko tensed up.

"That's nothing to do with Raimei…That's something Madara-sama draws out of people. He almost demands it. While I'm not a possessive woman, I won't let anyone take Madara-sama away either. He taught me to have fire in the place of ice and now I'll use that fire to get up to this healer, get whatever he has to offer and then help Madara-sama," Yukiko explained, laughing to herself as she did so. Just months before she'd have given anything to get away from Madara and now here she was…

* * *

><p>"Failure…Failure…Ah! What happened when I gave up my life as a kunoichi? Did all ninjas become damn cowards?" Hisano yelled at herself in her office. "The Ginhana wouldn't have done this, would they, Nii-san?" she reached out, clasping the photo of Isamu and Yukiko. "But I'm completely unable to do a thing. If it weren't for this thing I'd have gone to drag Yukiko back here myself,"<p>

There was a light knock on the door; Hisano quickly placed the photo down. "Come in!"

Keiji came in, beaming happily at her. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine, my dear, you seem very happy indeed," she got up, glancing at the picture on her desk again.

"However you're still stressing about this Uchiha situation, can't you take it easy just for these last few months?" he asked with a sigh. He was starting to become tired of this routine but he was determined to keep her happy.

"Three months left, isn't it? If the Senju haven't completed this mission in three months than I'll have to become involved," Hisano promised, leaning against the desk with her arms folded.

"You should enjoy this while you can, Hisano," his hand gently ran over her swelling stomach as he kissed her cheek. "Please? No more running around the Land of Fire and getting into all sorts of trouble, for me?" the former Ginhana smiled as he said this.

"For you, my dear? All I can promise is that I'll wait,"

* * *

><p>"You're getting tired, Yukiko-sama," Atsuko leaned forward slightly to check on Yukiko who was panting heavily. "We should rest for the night, perhaps,"<p>

"No, I'll be fine. Moulding Kiyoshi doesn't take a lot…We're about 5 miles away," Yukiko insisted, but she was really starting to feel the strain of having Kiyoshi galloping down the roads all this time and the sun was starting to sink.

"There's a small town just a little way down here. We can stop there for the night and then walk the rest of the way tomorrow," the maid advised gently however this time Yukiko made no complaint at all, as her vision blurred slightly. She was going to have to stop. There was no point exhausting herself to the point in which she couldn't get back to the Uchiha Stronghold.

They reached the outpost town 10 minutes later, Yukiko immediately leaping off of Kiyoshi and reforming him back into a blade. She felt better already, the strain on her body gone like a heavy bag being taken from her.

Something was off though.

"Atsuko, stay close to me," she hissed as the pair wandered down to the nearest inn.

It was a quiet town, hardly anyone around and anybody who was around wasn't a shinobi. Perhaps that was what was throwing Yukiko off, the lack of strong chakras.

As soon as the women were in their room, Yukiko started to relax as she laid down on the futon with a sigh and untied Kiyoshi from her waist.

"Tell me about this healer then," she asked wearily. She wasn't quite sure if she'd be able to stay awake for the conversation but she still hadn't any clue what sort of person she'd be going to see and in her experience medical-nin who claimed themselves to be healers instead were the sort who tended to experiment a little too much on themselves.

"His name is Minoru Kiyomizu and he's…"

"Wait…Kiyomizu. He's part of the Kiyomizu clan?" Yukiko sat up, her widened eyes on Atsuko's puzzled face for a moment.

"Yes, he is, is that a problem?"

"I've had dealings with the Kiyomizu clan before. It's not that I don't like them but they do tend to have a habit of patronizing the Ginhana because of a…certain incident. Well, less of an incident and more of a children's bedtime story really and no one even knows if it's true. I'm too tired, I'd rather not go into it now…or ever," she explained as she yawned.

"He's a very talented man, Mina had great faith in his skills," Atsuko added with a smile, as she realised the Ginhana had fallen asleep. She got up and picked up the rolled up duvet in the corner and gently laid it over the sleeping Yukiko. "With passion like yours, Yukiko-sama, I doubt anyone will be patronizing you,"

* * *

><p>"She attacked me!" Tobirama shrieked in his brother's office. "She actually attacked me <em>with <em>that damn Uchiha!"

"Tobi, as much as you repeat it, it doesn't make the situation any different. We have to wait for some of our troops to recover. Also you killed one of her squad members, you know how Yukiko is about that," Hashirama calmly informed him. But the white-haired Senju was having none of it.

"She could have killed me, Nii-sama,"

"That's nothing a little training couldn't help," Mito said from the door. She was certainly not someone Tobirama was willing to argue with though; instead he opted to just leave the room. "You can tell him when he's being too fiery, Hashirama,"

"I realise that, Mito, but he'll calm down with age," he told her with a slight smile.

"He's 19. I think the time for growing up has come and gone. However I know better than to disagree with your judgement," she laughed softly before that was wiped away and replaced with a serious expression. "What will we do about this war? The men are tired,"

"It's a week before our next battle, they know that,"

"When will the madness end?" Mito exclaimed with a heavy sigh. "So much murder and other clans have been dragged into this feud and torn apart,"

"I realise that, Mito, I really do however…This is how it must be until Madara-kun sees sense. He only understands force and I hope to the gods he realises he needs to calm down before someone he cares about gets hurt," Hashirama placed his head in his hands and cursed how much he actually cared. His wife was right, this had to stop. "I don't know what else there is to do,"

"Prove by example and put this behind you!"

* * *

><p>It was raining the morning Yukiko and Atsuko left the inn to go and see Minoru Kiyomizu, which Yukiko immediately took this as a bad omen though.<p>

"Yukiko-sama, we might get a cure for Madara-sama's sight, you should try to be more optimistic," Atsuko laughed at the soggy Ginhana as they reached the woodland path down to Minoru's home and research lab.

"Why're you so cheerful, Atsuko?" she asked begrudgingly, rolling her eyes at the suggestion she should be happy.

"I was hoping it'd spread to you, perhaps," the maid replied with a vague tone, she didn't know quite why she was happy actually. Maybe feeling like she could actually help Izuna was making her feel that way.

Then they reached it. It was a traditional looking house, wooden walkway all around it, lanterns dangling from the overhanging roof, perfectly normal in every way except that all of the wood was painted purple.

Yukiko blinked a few times in amazement, standing totally still. On the door was the crest of the Kiyomizu clan, a Peony and around the house were bushes of Peony as if to reinstate that horrible message to Yukiko that this house belonged to a member of _that _clan.

Atsuko became nervous all of a sudden, taking a few hesitant steps to the door before looking around.

"Excuse me, Kiyomizu-san?" the Uchiha called. There was silence and then…

"I'm in the middle of a live experiment, is it urgent?" his accent sounded off to the Ginhana, as though he'd spent a very long, if not all of his life in the Land of Fire. She sighed, deciding if she wanted this to be over quickly she'd have to do it herself.

"Do many people stroll out here for a friendly chat, Kiyomizu?" Yukiko boldly asked, her eyes trained on the door which slowly slid open a few minutes later.

He wasn't particularly tall, still taller than Yukiko but most people were, he had short shoulder length auburn hair and striking amber eyes. He stared at Yukiko and then at Kiyoshi tied around her waist and then back up at Yukiko.

"Yukiko Ginhana, I suppose it would be urgent for you, you're supposed to be dead. Set aside your foolish Ginhana pride and come along to ask a Kiyomizu for help? Where have I heard that one before?" he asked with an arrogant smirk.

"I hardly think you're a Kiyomizu. You bear their crest and their know-it-all attitude but you're hiding in the Land of Fire like a frightened lemming," Yukiko retorted swiftly. Atsuko stood awkwardly between the two who then started laughing.

"Ignore us, little Uchiha, it's the humour of our land which is perhaps a little rough for your refined tastes," Minoru moved aside and gestured the women to come in before leading them down to back room overlooking the garden.

"I'm afraid we can't stay particularly long," Atsuko pointed out shyly as they sat down.

"So it really is urgent? What could you two most unlikely of friends be here for then? What medicine could I give you?" he offered, getting right down to the point with an arched eyebrow.

"Actually it's about a very important captain in our army who, through no fault of his own, has ended up blinded by an advanced Sharingan technique," Yukiko explained carefully, trying not to give too much away at all, whether this man was from her country or not he still had the ability to betray them.

"An advanced Sharingan technique that renders the user blind? No…Blindness isn't the right word…Perhaps it removes the light from the eye and it falls into darkness,"

Yukiko said nothing for a moment, mouth opened slightly.

"_The fall begins."_

_"Yukiko…The darkness…"_

"How do you know about that?" she demanded with her crimson eyes narrowed.

"Either you're talking about the blood-stained Sharingan of the Uchiha that I've heard from rumours or someone in your army has used Izanagi," Minoru sighed, getting up and leaving the room for a few minutes before coming back in with a book.

"Izanagi?" Yukiko repeated quietly.

"Izanagi is a forbidden technique in our clan, Yukiko-sama, you can use it to change the barriers of illusion and reality but if you do it's said the eye that uses it loses its light forever. I never understood it myself but it's completely forbidden and Madara-sama has promised to personally deal with anyone who uses it," Atsuko explained in a solemn tone before turning to the Kiyomizu. "It wasn't Izanagi,"

He looked up from the book he was quickly reading. "You Uchiha are a fickle breed, you do realise that, don't you? I honestly can't help you. I wish I could, I really do. As a healer my job is to fill in the gaps Medical ninjutsu can't but I've never been able to even examine an Uchiha let alone restore their sight. If I could get my hands on a Sharingan, I could attempt all I could but without that there's nothing I can do,"

There was a heavy silence in the room as the trio thought deeply about their situation. There really was only one option.

"We'll have to bring you to the Uchiha Stronghold, Kiyomizu," Yukiko broke the silence as she got up. "I'm afraid this is a matter of life and death and the fate of the Uchiha rests upon it,"

"Don't you think that's very odd for you, Ginhana? They destroyed your clan and yet you don't revel in the thought of the same happening to them," Minoru slyly remarked as he snapped the heavy book shut.

"I wish I could but that's not how it happened at all. Come on, if we leave now we can get back to the Stronghold by nightfall,"

"I never agreed to this, but knowing the Uchiha if I don't you'll come banging on my door and drag me there so I guess I have no choice!" he sighed as jumped up.

* * *

><p>Izuna stood at the door of the cabin, his brother writhing in unimaginable pain.<p>

"Nii-san…" he whispered as tears built up in his eyes. "Nii-san, give it time. Yukiko and Atsuko will be back soon,"

"My eyes…Where are those painkillers?" Madara panted, reached around him to try and find the bottle.

"No! Those tablets are giving you a bad fever which gives you nightmares," Izuna leapt forward and snatched the pills up from the floor.

"You're not my damn mother, Izuna! I'm in pain!"

"I'm your brother though. We're all we've got," Izuna muttered sadly. "No matter what happens, I'm going to be here for you. I'm going to help you no matter what so please, just listen to me,"

"I know…I know. I'm sorry," Madara said softly, holding his hand out to where he had heard Izuna's voice. "I am,"

Izuna couldn't hold back his tears any longer. There wasn't many times his brother had ever apologised to him, he grabbed his brother's hand and knelt down beside him.

"Don't apologise, Madara, please don't. It makes it seem like you're giving up already,"

* * *

><p>Minoru whistled in amazement as they came up to the Uchiha Stronghold.<p>

"That's a really intimidating sight," he remarked.

"Well we're not going there," Yukiko assured him as Kiyoshi shattered and the trio headed into the woods nearby. "We've not said this yet but your patient is going to be Madara-sama,"

Minoru stopped his tracks, staring at the women's backs in amazement.

"Madara Uchiha? He'll eat me alive,"

"Watch it," Yukiko warned, glancing back at him. "Watch what you say and you'll be fine, Kiyomizu,"

"You're…" he chuckled to himself suddenly. "I think I see what's going on here, Yukiko, ah…" he ran slightly to keep up with them. "You're a Ginhana in love, dangerous game that is," this comment earned his a sideways glare from her though.

"Even if that is the case that doesn't change the situation with Madara-sama a single bit," she warned him.

"No, you're right. Besides wasn't it for love that Kiyoshi Ginhana originally called upon his half-brother Akiyoshi Kiyomizu to slay the evil that had possessed Kiyoshi's wife?" Minoru had a strange, far-off tone all of a sudden which just grated Yukiko's patience further.

"Children's tales," she spat angrily.

"Maybe it is. There's no proof that actually happened but then again there's no proof it didn't either,"

They arrived at the cabin to Yukiko's relief just as soon as he'd said this. It meant they wouldn't have to deal with a dead healer.

Atsuko sighed in relief as well, sensing that this time the pair hadn't been joking with each other at all.

Yukiko made her way to the cabin door first, gently knocking on it.

"Madara-sama, Izuna-san," a flustered Izuna opened the door, looking to Minoru instantly with a baffled look and then a cautious one.

"Is that the healer? You brought him here?" the young Uchiha asked, barely glancing at Atsuko before placing the blame on Yukiko.

"Kiyomizu told us he can't do anything for Madara-sama without examining his eyes properly. If anything happens, Izuna-san, I take full responsibility," Yukiko whispered to him. He made no reply for a moment and then sighed.

"Fine, Atsuko can you go and get some food for Madara? You two, in here," Yukiko let Minoru walk in front of her, trying to keep a better eye on him. She didn't think he was a particularly bad person but she knew it would be in his nature to speak out of turn.

"Who the hell's here?" Madara asked, sitting up.

"It's me, Madara-sama, and a healer from my country, Minoru Kiyomizu. He's here to examine your eyes," Yukiko explained gently. There was no way this could go down well with Madara…

"Fine."

Yukiko and Izuna exchanged worried looks all of a sudden; apparently even Izuna had expected Madara to kick up a fuss.

"Alright well, I've got my stuff on me. Izuna-kun, can you go and get me some fresh water, please? I'll need a nice clean work area," Izuna stood there confused for a moment before making his way to the door. "Yukiko, m'dear, you'll have to help me out with a few matters anyway,"

"Oh…Okay, what do you need help with, Kiyomizu?" she took a few tentative steps towards him.

"Call me Minoru for one…"

"Back off," Madara growled his lightless eyes still seeming to find where Minoru was in the room.

"Please, Madara-san…"

"Madara-_sama_," Yukiko and Madara corrected in unison which seemed to throw Minoru off for a moment.

"Please, Madara-sama, I would like you to lie down and relax," he continued, kneeling down beside the Uchiha.

The healer pulled out a small box from his back pocket and brought out a match, promptly lighting it and holding it above Madara's eyes.

Yukiko was about to grab his wrist when he blew it out.

"I was checking the level of blindness before you ask; there is a level of blindness at which you can only distinguish light and shadow. How long were you at that stage for?" Minoru asked, Madara's fists clenched in frustration and pain. "Madara-sama?"

The Uchiha muttered something inaudibly.

"Excuse me?"

"Two weeks dammit!" he yelled all of a sudden.

"Two weeks?" Yukiko shrieked, and those two weeks she'd been lying in bed he'd been well and truly blind.

"Uh huh, and how long has the pain been around?" Minoru grabbed a notepad and a pencil from his messenger bag.

"A few months, is this really necessary?" Madara asked testily, before feeling Yukiko's hand on his forehead.

"Why didn't you tell anyone, Madara-sama?" she sighed.

"I did! I told Izuna, he's the only one who needed to know. I've got no time for you right now, Yukiko!"

Yukiko looked up at Minoru.

"I'm going to go for a walk," she told him before all but running out of the room.

Madara sat up for a moment before dropping back down.

"Dammit…" he said wearily.

* * *

><p>Izuna wandered back up to the cabin, careful not to spill any water from the bucket when Yukiko walked passed him.<p>

"Yuki-chan…Where are you going?" he yelled turning around quickly.

"I'm going for a walk. I hope it all works out for Madara-sama," was all she said before using the Body Flicker Technique to disappear.

Izuna made it to the cabin quickly, finding Minoru was breaking up some plants into a bowl.

"Nii-san…" the Uchiha began, gently placing the water on the floor next to the healer.

"What?"

"Can you _please _be nice to Yuki-chan for a while?" the door opened again and Atsuko, carrying a few bowls of food rather awkwardly, stumbled in.

"I just saw Yukiko-sama, she's very tired so she's gone to get some sleep," she informed them before Izuna took a couple of bowls of food from her.

"Hm? I suppose she would be. She used Kiyoshi for hours without a break twice in two days and having to mould him into a large shape like that must have taken its toll on her body and chakra reserves. You should give her…" Minoru dug through his bag again, pulling out a small bottle. He took the lid off to smell the contents. "Go give her these, they'll help," he said, chucking the bottle to Atsuko.

Her Sharingan activated instinctively as she caught it while putting the two bowls into her other hand.

"If I'm not needed, I'll go give these to her immediately then," Atsuko curtly left the men alone.

"Good now she's gone I can talk frankly…" Minoru began, handing Madara a cup of strange green liquid. "That will take the edge off of the pain. You've destroyed your chakra coils in your eyes, Madara-sama,"

"W-what does that mean?" Izuna stuttered, swallowing hard.

"Basically you know about the Chakra Circulatory System?" he asked Izuna who could only manage to nod. "Chakra coils are the tiny vessels that feed chakra into and out of the system; the veins are arteries of the chakra system if you think about it. So essentially what has happened is whatever you've done to your Sharingan has caused the chakra coils in your eyes to completely collapse and close in on themselves. I can't really suggest anything you can do really except take painkillers to ease the pain. Those collapsed coils are the cause of your pain as well, I could remove the eyes if you wish but that's up to you," Minoru explained with a sombre tone. "I'll leave you with your brother and go check on Yukiko, if you don't mind,"

"Fine. Ask for a guard called Hayate at the gates, he'll lead you to her and Atsuko," Madara told him. The healer quickly left the pair alone.

"Nii-san…What'll we do? I'll have to take over the clan," Izuna decided, trembling.

"Don't be an idiot, Izuna, I know as well as you do that you have no interest in taking over now…" a wave of pain hit him suddenly, causing Madara to curl up.

"Did you take that pain medicine?" his younger brother asked urgently, standing up.

"No…I'm not taking anything that I, personally, don't know…" Madara hissed through gritted teeth, clutching the pillow tightly.

"Nii-san…" Izuna found himself whispering. "Just…I…I'll do anything just get better!" he shrieked.

* * *

><p>Yukiko begrudgingly took one of the pills Atsuko had given her before lying down in bed.<p>

She didn't actually know why she was angry and had, on her way down to the Stronghold, decided she was being immature about the entire situation.

Of course she didn't need to know, she had been struggling herself when all of this was occurring but it still hurt. She didn't want to jump up and down and be a good obedient dog…But she did want Madara's trust and praise and his…

"Yukiko-sama! Kiyomizu-san is here to see you," Hayate called from the door.

"Send him in,"

Minoru had a sad look on his face though as he walked in.

"I can't do it, Yukiko," he admitted, sitting on the edge of Madara's bed…Well Madara's and hers.

"You can't do what, Minoru?"

"I can't heal his eyes. I honestly thought I could try and use some of the techniques I'd been trying out but the Sharingan looks far more complicated than I'd ever conceived,"

Yukiko said nothing except for a tiny 'Oh'.

"You need to sleep, it looks like a storm will be coming in tonight and your chakra is seriously low…Perhaps I could stay and give you some of mine, we are technically from sibling clans," Yukiko was about to refuse but found herself too tired to do so, instead nodding.

His hands hovered over her chest as a pale green light was emitted.

"Isn't this the…"

"Mystic Palm Technique, yes but if used correctly I can replenish your chakra with it. You need to just sleep and…"

But his voice was fading fast and Yukiko drifted off moments later.

* * *

><p>Yukiko's eyes fluttered open, rolling on her side and cuddling the weight beside her.<p>

"Well…If that's how you greet Madara in the morning no wonder he seems so fond of you," a smug voice remarked, Yukiko flinched rolling off the bed.

"Minoru! You slept in our bed!" Yukiko cried out in a shrill voice, sitting up to glare at him.

"Of course I did, where else was I supposed to go?"

"Sleep on the floor," there was a rapid knock on the door and a panicked Atsuko ran in, holding her chest as she panted. "Atsuko, what's going on?"

"It's Madara-sama…You must come quickly!"

* * *

><p><strong>AH! Why'd she end it there? It was getting good! <em>Patience, Kai, my man. <em>Deidara from the English dub? _Nah. It's same ol' Kagami. Thought I'd try talkin' like him for a while. _What an awful dub..._We ain't here to argue about that! It's this chapter and it's time...Shall we reveal the next arc title? _Oh yes! **

**Her Madara of Light and Flame. _How comes that was a spoiler though? _It was originally going to be "Steal Away My Brother's Light" but Kay changed it at the last minute. _Oh I see. I'll ask the question since you got to announce the arc title._**

**_How was this arc for you, likkle reviewers? :) Want the next one?_**

**Next chapter title: Would I Come As Before?**


	36. Would I Come As Before?

Detective Prince here, quick update, eh? Got a song for Madara for this chapter and the next. Far by Coheed & Cambria. It was really hard for me to write this one. I got choked up a couple of times and had to leave it alone. :( So here's the first chapter of Her Madara Of Light And Flame.

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: I've got nothing to say here. I don't own Naruto but I own my characters and the plot.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Six<strong>

**Would I Come As Before?**

Yukiko and Minoru didn't waste anymore time arguing, the three of them running down to the cabin.

"What's wrong with Madara-sama?" Minoru asked urgently, grabbing Atsuko's wrist.

"He's in pain, a lot of pain and he's got a high fever now as well," Atsuko snatched her wrist out of his grasp.

"How can blindness cause this?" Yukiko asked, frustrated.

"His chakra system is damage, that's how," he informed her before opening the cabin door and rushing to Madara's side.

Madara was trembling in pain now, his knuckles pale as they grasped his pillow and he could barely speak through gritted teeth.

Izuna was sat totally still and absolutely silent, his eyes never leaving Madara.

"Madara-sama, I'm giving you a shot, it'll help with the pain," Minoru grabbed his bag and pulled out a syringe and small pot of pale pink liquid.

"Peony sap? You're going to give him _that_! That's dangerous, Minoru!" Yukiko yelled suddenly, recognising the colour instantly. "You could give him hallucinations!"

"And I could stop him feeling pain, now if you don't mind, Yukiko, get out and let me do my job!" he snapped, his amber eyes glaring fiercely.

Yukiko's patience was gone in a flash; she drew Kiyoshi and pointed the blade straight at him.

"Damn Kiyomizu, think you know everything," she growled.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Madara managed to yell. "Yukiko, get out and come back in an hour or two. We need to talk,"

Yukiko went to protest but found that she had no ground to do so; instead she sheathed Kiyoshi and stormed out.

"What is with you two?" Atsuko asked quietly, watching the door for a few moments.

"Nothing…Nothing I just upset her this morning, I fell asleep in her bed and she got freaked out and…" his sentence was cut off by Madara's hand finding his throat.

"Do that again and I don't care if I'm blind or you have anything for me I will kill you, do you understand?" Minoru let out a strangled noise of agreement before Madara relinquished his grip.

"I'll…be more careful next time, now this may sting a bit," he tied cloth tightly around Madara's arm to find a raised vein and injected the serum in.

It did sting, it stung enough that Madara hissed in pain.

"Sorry, Madara-sama, the serum is quite thick so the needle has to be," Minoru muttered as he held down a piece of cotton on the prick mark. "And I'm sorry about whatever goes on between me and Yukiko,"

"What's your problem with her?" Izuna asked, breaking his self-imposed silence.

"It's not a problem with her specifically. I actually think, for a Ginhana, she's one of the few who isn't a pride filled obsessive. Her clan and my clan have a bad history together as sibling clans, that's all," the healer explained. "How're you feeling now, Madara-sama?"

"Hm?" Madara's eyes were slowly beginning to close as he fell asleep. Minoru dipped a cloth in the bucket of water and gently placed it onto the Uchiha's forehead.

"I'll have to remove his eyes eventually just to relieve some of the stress on the surrounding nerves but for now that should keep him quiet and painless. How're you holding up?" Minoru asked Izuna, who stared at him blankly for a few minutes before responding.

"I'm fine. Is there anything I can do? He's my only family…"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat in Madara's quarters, reading several scrolls she'd picked up from the Archives. She intended to apologise for her behaviour at some point but for now she was studying.<p>

There was a light knocking on the door. "Come in,"

To her surprise it wasn't Minoru or Atsuko but instead Izuna had left his brother's side to come and see her.

"Is it wise to leave Minoru with Madara?" she asked him solemnly, placing the scroll she'd been reading down.

"Atsuko is still there. I just wanted to get you, as soon as Madara wakes up he'll probably want to talk to you," he told her wearily.

"You sound so serious, Izuna-san, that's not like you at all," Yukiko remarked, getting up to face him with a small smile. "We should try and stay happy for Madara-sama for now and give him some trouble like usual,"

Izuna took a moment but he returned her smile with a hug. "I know you told me not to but I realise now what I did to you was wrong. For what it's worth, I'm very sorry and you're right we should be pains for Madara and maybe he'll stop being so depressed,"

"I'll accept your apology for Madara-sama's sake. So let's get going," Yukiko grabbed the scrolls and set off down to the cabin with Izuna.

Halfway there though there was a mighty boom from the heavens and rain began to fall.

"Minoru was right, there was a storm on the way," Yukiko sighed, this was the second time in a row she'd been caught out in the pouring rain in two days.

"It's that time in Spring, there's nothing we can do about it," Izuna pointed out. "I could race you down to the cabin, get our spirits up,"

"As if I'd do something so childish…" she rolled her eyes before smirking and getting a head start on the Uchiha.

"Cheater!"

However no amount of joking could hide the fact both were running out of fear something had happened while they had been gone. It probably hadn't but neither were willing to take that chance.

Izuna got there first, slowly opening the door and then carefully walking in so not to disturb the sleeping Madara.

Minoru was reading the large textbook he had brought with him, muttering to himself. Atsuko was sat down just thinking to herself and although it seemed quiet and calm enough the atmosphere was heavy, suffocating even.

"Raining?" Minoru asked, glancing up from his book for a brief moment at the pair. "Oh wait, I can hear it. I think perhaps I was reading too much. His fever is starting to go down," the healer took the cloth off of Madara's forehead just to check on him. "That's good,"

"And the side effects?" Yukiko questioned as she tried to keep her temper under control.

"I've not witnessed anything yet except for some disturbed sleep however Atsuko tells me that's normal," the wet pair both nodded in agreement at this however they didn't bother offering an explanation.

"There must be some other way of making him more comfortable," Yukiko reasoned with a sigh, sitting down next to the healer.

"I'm not sure anything else is strong enough, I'm afraid. You must believe me, Yukiko, I don't use this sort of medicine lightly," Minoru countered gently, trying not to annoy her again.

"I know but you must understand that this is…" she trailed off, looking down at the sleeping Madara and placed her hand on his.

"I do understand. As a healer, I must treat people and that sometimes involves dealing with people's family and tensions run high. I've been threatened and beaten before," he said in a matter-of-factly tone before chuckling softly to himself.

Madara flinched and started trembling.

* * *

><p><em>Darkness…Darkness…Darkness…<em>

"_No…I need to…I can't take this," Madara pleaded with some invisible force, shaking. _

"_Madara-sama, you need to calm down…" Yukiko soothed to him. "It'll all be over soon,"_

"_No! Give me my light! You promised! You said you'd give me light!" he roared, holding his hand out. "My light, Yukiko!" _

"_Your light is here, Madara-sama. You need to reach out and seize it!" Yukiko cried out in retaliation. _

"_Tell me what you mean by that, Yukiko. Don't talk to me in damn riddles!" she grabbed his hand and he felt her place it on her cheek. _

"_I'm telling you, Madara…" the voice changed suddenly to Izuna. He could feel his hand on Izuna's eyes. "You need to seize this light…" _

* * *

><p>Madara sat up suddenly, panting. His hands curled around the bed sheet tightly.<p>

"Madara-sama," it was Yukiko. "Are you okay?" she was kneeling down beside him, her hand on his back.

"I…" he tried to catch his breath.

"There's no one else here, Madara-sama," she informed him, placing her head on his shoulder.

"I just…It's these damn drugs, they're making me see things and hear things," Madara cursed himself that his shaking wouldn't stop. "Think things,"

"I know. It's called Peony serum. It's a hallucinogenic but it does take pain away," Yukiko explained, her hand in his. "You need to let Minoru remove your eyes,"

"No! I can still do something about this," Madara replied firmly.

"You can't, Madara-sama, please just let him take them away. They're doing nothing but hurt you and me and Izuna-kun can't take it anymore," Yukiko pleaded.

"-Kun? When did you and Izuna make up?" he asked her.

"We haven't made up; we've reached a point in which we can respect each other again. And that point is caring about you, Madara-sama,"

He honestly didn't know what he could say. He could be angry but he was far too tired for that, he could be kind but he didn't particularly want to be.

"You both will regret that one day,"

"You wanted to talk to me?" she reminded him quietly.

"Not really. You seem to be the person who pities me the least and I just want some rest from Izuna's whining and begging," he yawned. "So I don't want to talk to you actually just…" he was becoming withdrawn again, lying down with his head back on her lap. "Just shut up and let me go back to sleep," his words were becoming slurred as he shut his eyes slowly.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Kiyomizu!" Izuna yelled down the corridor from his room, chasing after the healer.<p>

"Hm? Izuna-kun, what's wrong?" Minoru asked with an eyebrow arched in curiosity.

"I know I've asked you this before but is there really nothing I can do?" Izuna shifted his weight awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"I'm afraid not, even the mightiest of lions can be slain by sickness. Your brother isn't immortal," Minoru told him coldly.

"Anyone told you that you can be a real bastard at time," Izuna snapped before punching him. "So what happened to _your _family, Kiyomizu? 'Coz you don't _sound_ like you're from the Land of Water like Yukiko does, you sound like you were brought up here,"

"What happened to my family? Does it really matter? Say something did happen to my family does that change what's happening to Madara?" Minoru had a angry tone all of a sudden.

"It changes how you'll deal with this. You sound like you're giving up and I swear if you do..." Izuna slipped a kunai out from his sleeve. "It won't be without severe consequence, and just because my brother isn't around doesn't mean you can stop showing respect. It's Madara-_sama_,"

* * *

><p><em>Madara could feel it happening again...Those voices and this darkness would never cease...Not until he had his light. <em>

_"Madara-sama, how did you feel when your mother died?" Yukiko's voice asked him with that gentle tone she used when she was comforting him. "Pathetic? Useless? No...Helpless?" _

_"Shut up!" he yelled. "Don't you dare talk to me that way!" he roared. "Just shut up!"_

_"Would you rather..." the voice changed to Izuna's "I talk to you like this? Nii-san...Let me take this darkness from you and let me ease your pain," _

_"No...I won't allow it," Madara could feel himself begin to tremble though. "Why don't you understand, Izuna? I knew this all along! I knew it'd end like this and I know what to do to get my light but I won't!"_

_"Then you'll send me to my death as the Uchiha burn! We are at war!" Izuna argued angrily. "There's no choice!" _

_"I won't hurt my own little brother for anything even if it means the clan! He's...He's more important than them," Madara admitted, falling to his knees as his breathing became more erratic. "He's always been more important," _

_"Madara..." that voice, that sweet voice like a bell chime. His mother..."Madara, it's okay. It's all going to be okay," _

* * *

><p>Izuna quietly entered the cabin, finding Yukiko had fallen asleep with Madara. He sighed, a weak smile on his lips as he grabbed the bed sheet that Madara had thrown aside and gently placing it over his brother before nudging Yukiko awake. She had been leaning against the wall to make sure she didn't wake up Madara but sleeping while sitting up didn't look comfortable, to him at least.<p>

"Yukiko," he whispered, bending down to her level. "C'mon, Yuki-chan," he nudged her again.

"Hm, Izu-kun?" she groaned as her eyes fluttered open.

"You need to go eat, I got Aoi to save you some food. He said he'd hang out with you for a while. You should go take a break, I'll be here with Madara," Izuna advised kindly.

"Oh, okay, where's Minoru?" she asked, slowly getting up while putting a pillow under Madara's head.

"He's somewhere. I don't really care, we had a little exchange," Izuna shrugged. "I have a plan...A certain jutsu if you will. I'll need you to stay away and just relax for a few days while I try it,"

Yukiko gave him a puzzled look before questioning this 'plan' of his. "Is this something you read in the Archives?" he nodded. "Three days, Izuna-kun...I'll be back here in three days. I'm trusting you,"

"You don't need to trust me with my own brother, Yuki-chan," he pointed out with a sly smirk. She reluctantly left, planning on using Kiyoshi to keep an eye on situation or else she wouldn't have agreed to leave so easily. But he was right about one thing, she didn't need to tell him not to harm Madara. She wandered back to the Stronghold, the storm not letting up at all.

This bad feeling wouldn't leave her though, there was a pit in her stomach and her hands trembled as she clenched them into tight fists. She felt like she was going to be sick. She felt panicked and she felt like she was losing control of herself. Yukiko was scared...Terrified even. She bit down hard on a shaking lip as her eyes turned skyward and her feet stopped moving. In her mind she was praying for his health, not his eyesight. But he was mourning his eyesight and his sudden fall from power.

"Please...whatever happens, just give him peace," she whispered.

"Peace?" a voice rang out making her jump. Minoru stood behind her, soaked from the rain just as she was and his eyebrows raised giving him a curious look. "Pray for peace but we should wish for strength to face this war,"

"You're a philosopher as well as a healer, Minoru? That's surprising," Yukiko stated, taking a deep breath in to calm herself. "I heard you and Izuna-kun had a talk,"

"We did and I'd hardly say it was pleasant one. I would much rather work alone on this, I really would. Other people get emotional and then what good is my healing if my patients are too upset about their loved ones?" Minoru said rather angrily, glaring at Yukiko for a moment.

"I wouldn't give me that look, Minoru, we both know why I drew Kiyoshi on you has nothing to do with Madara-sama," Yukiko retorted snidely.

"A feud between clans has nothing to do with us anymore, Yukiko. I don't live with the Kiyomizu and you're the only true Ginhana left although I'd consider you an Uchiha at this point. Your love for Madara-sama is both worrying and pleasing," he chuckled at the end of his sentence and took a few steps past her. "My mother stole a sacred scroll from the Kiyomizu and then fled the country just to save my father. If that is the depth of love then what could I possibly say? I've never loved nor do I intend to. I'm content with my research and my loneliness. If I become irrational then who could I save?" Minoru explained more to himself than to her, he ended with a sigh though. "Your resolve to stand by Madara Uchiha is much respectable than the Senju make it out to be. And by Senju I refer to Tobirama,"

The sound of sliding metal was heard from behind him, he turned finding Yukiko had drawn Kiyoshi on him for a second time but this time her eyes burnt with anger.

"I was an idiot," she admitted dryly. "You should never have come here. Now walk," she ordered with a growl in her voice.

"You've read this all wrong, Yukiko. I'm not here as a spy..."

"Don't. I'll get more information from you in interrogation once you're in a cell. Now walk."

To her utter surprise he said nothing and did as he was told, being led down to the cells without a fight. She did, however, have to pass Yoshi to do so. A single glance at the former Council leader made her wonder what he would do if he knew the situation with Madara.

She'd have to deal with this quietly and by herself. He was taken to a cell and she ordered him not to be fed for three days. By the time that was over Izuna would be back and she was hoping he was much better at interrogation than she was.

Three days...What could Izuna possibly do in three days? Yukiko resolved herself to researching the Archives in that time and hope she'd find what he had been reading.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was napping in the Archives on the third day, having barely left the room other than to bathe, when it happened.<p>

Aoi came running down to see her, being one of the few people who knew where to find her. He shook her roughly awake, repeating her name urgently.

"Hm? Aoi-kun, what's wrong?" she yawned as she stood up, wiping the sleep from her eyes.

"You're to come to the gates now. I'm afraid that's all I can tell you," Aoi told her urgently. It was strange to find the usually stoic sensor so flustered.

"Is this about Madara-sama?" she asked, grabbing Kiyoshi and making for the door.

"I'm afraid that's all I can tell you," he repeated firmly. She wasn't going to argue with him, Aoi wasn't the type to give away secrets and unfortunately it seemed that Minoru wasn't either. She ran down the corridors, it seemed something had stirred up a reaction from the Uchiha as many of them lined the corridors talking quietly amongst themselves.

It seemed to take forever but she reached the gate, nodding to one of the guards it was okay to open it. The rain had begun again though, the night sky seemed darker than usual and Yukiko had that _feeling _once more.

The doors opened and a hooded figure stood waiting for her. It didn't even wait to greet her, instead turning around and running back into the forest.

"Hey!" she yelled, giving chase. The lake...She'd been led all the way back to the lake when the figure stopped, looking down at the lake's rippling surface in the rain. "I demand you tell me who you are, look at me," she snapped fiercely.

"I suggest Yukiko..." that deep smooth voice! "You don't talk to me that way if you cherish your life," he faced her, taking down his hood.

She actually stood in a stunned silence for a moment before her emotions got the better of her. Yukiko rushed to him and threw her arms around his neck.

"Madara-sama...His jutsu worked then," how amazing it felt to bury herself in the nape his neck and breathe in that musky scent once more. After a few minutes she took a step back, smiling honestly. However he couldn't quite meet her gaze, glancing straight back at the water's surface again as if he couldn't quite believe what he was seeing.

"What jutsu?" he asked gravely, trying to tear his eyes away from the lake.

"He said he had a plan. I tried to see with Kiyoshi but he kept getting sealed away, Izuna-kun has figured out how to control him unfortunately. But...if he didn't use a jutsu how can you see again?" there was a long silence, five minutes perhaps. She waited for his answer, see that Madara seemed genuinely torn. So she changed the question.

"Madara-sama, where's Izuna-kun? Shouldn't he be with you?" she took a few steps to go to the cabin when he snatched at her wrist pulling her closer to him and forcing her to look in his Sharingan. "M-Madara-sama, let go of me..." he was holding her wrist tighter than he'd ever done and grabbed her neck. His Sharingan began to morph, like it had done all those months ago, but this time it wasn't a horrifying world but rather a series of images.

A series of horrific images so real...

Once they were gone he pushed her away, a pained look in his eyes as she looked at him with shock and then...disgust, falling backwards onto the ground. Her crimson eyes filled with tears as lightning streaked the sky, illuminating Madara. She shook her head as if to reject what she'd been shown and a shaking hand covered her open mouth.

"You...You..." she stuttered.

"Say it." he snarled bitterly.

"You're..." the words were caught in her throat as she tried to hold everything in. "How could you?" she pleaded, begging it all to be a lie...Some sort of sick lie. "He's your brother, your only family. You.." No word seemed to fit though. As her breathing became quicker and quicker she realised if she didn't calm down she'd have a panic attack. But how was she supposed to stay calm? This 'man' had done the foulest of deeds. He was..."YOU'RE A MONSTER!" she shrieked, pulling herself up and running away from him, hoping he wouldn't follow her.

Madara didn't though, he watched her run before shutting his eyes as though to shut the world out completely. "Thank you, Yukiko," he whispered, thankful he wasn't the only one who thought so. He wasn't even going to argue with her. He had absolutely no doubt that could be the last time he ever saw her.

* * *

><p><strong>Is...Is this the end? <em>No! Gosh Kai, you don't listen do you? This is the first chapter of Her Madara of Light and Flame! How can it be the end? <em>That seemed very final. _I think it'd be rather disappointing if it just ended there. _I don't know...Wasn't it originally supposed to end here? _In the very first draft of this story, yes. But now it isn't. _Why? _Doesn't feel right..._Those words though. _Are supposed to mirror with Sasuke says to Sakura when he leaves the village. _Oh are they? That's sort of neat. **

_**What do you think will happen to Yukiko now?**_

**Next Chapter Title: I Will Come Reformed. **


	37. I Will Come Reformed

Hello, happy readers. At least I hope you are. :) Hope you don't mind that weird ending from last time. Here we are. :) My precious story. Precious because some of these bits were written many moons ago at the second draft of AFSF when I realised it'd be stupid to end the story like I did last chapter. :) Character theme...Hm. Aoi's theme is Full Moon by Sonata Arctica. He'll be a bigger character soon, just so you know ;)

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I was reading Year of the Black Rainbow. Apparently I don't own Naruto. Cambria says it at some point. But I own my characters and plot, when there is one.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Seven<strong>

**I Will Come Reformed!**

Moments later, Yukiko changed course. She didn't want to go back to the Stronghold. Instead she ran faster and faster, suppressing a scream and suppressing her tears until she reached her destination. She slammed the door open, standing at the doorway of the cabin as she looked at Izuna, bloodstained bandages tied around his eyes…No. Where his eyes _should _have been…

"Izuna-kun..." she whispered, he sat up, turning his head to her.

"Yuki-chan!" he exclaimed before she leapt onto him, causing him to fall back down onto the futon. "Yuki..." he had one hand on the back of her head and his other arm wrapped around her back. And then she let it all go, her horror and her disgust and her upset all came out in a flood of tears and strangled cries. "Don't blame Madara," he told her, trying to soothe her.

"He did this," she gasped, recoiling and looking at him. "Your own brother…"

"I know but…" he needed strength to say this because he had no doubt he'd be repeating it over and over again, perhaps until he died. "I let him, for the good of the clan,"

"For the…good of the clan?" she repeated slowly, wiping some of her endless tears away. "How could this possibly be for the good of the Uchiha?"

"The truth is there isn't a happy ending with the Uchiha, ever. I will never marry, you will be with Madara but only for as long as Madara wishes you to be and Atsuko will be stuck in the situation she is in. This Curse of Hatred...We were all naive thinking to ourselves it doesn't apply to us. Why won't you tell me what you really think, Yuki-chan? Tell me I'm just another sacrifice in this bloodstained history. I've known it all along and yet I thought if I stayed close to my brother I would be saved. I told you this already, Yuki-chan, I'm a selfish person. You're crying right now...Crying because you'll have to go see your lover and he'll be able to _SEE_ you something I'll never do again. Now leave me, leave a blind fool to himself. I have battles to continue onward. Onward until I can continue no more, for this clan and for the man I'd give my light to," he gently ran his hand down her arm, finding her wrist and bringing up so she could see her bracelet.

Yukiko stared at it for a moment. "I'm going," she muttered, getting out of the cabin but not before she heard Izuna say to her.

"You won't leave him."

She didn't know what to do, standing out in the rain alone. Her crying hadn't ceased yet, her whole body didn't stop shaking whether it was from the cold or from shock she didn't know or care anymore. She took in a deep breath, what would she do? What _could _she do?

"Why, Madara-sama?" she whispered, that was all she was thinking now. What could motivate him to do something so terrible? She took a few steps forward until breaking into a run again.

* * *

><p>Atsuko sat in the cell with Minoru, he was asleep but she had been talking to him about various healing techniques when the large Eagle Owl Izuna used flew to the window, pecking at the metal bars.<p>

She got up, holding her hand out to the owl before leaving the cell and headed straight to the cabin, understanding she was being summoned. However she stopped part way there, she stood dead still and absolutely silent.

"WHY?" a familiar voice shrieked. "HE'S YOUR BROTHER!" Atsuko quietly crept down to the edge of the trees, finding Yukiko and Madara arguing or rather, Yukiko shouting at him. Something about Izuna? She'd never seen Yukiko so angry and upset before…

"Because it was what had to be done for the war, I must defeat the Senju to protect us all," he countered quite calmly.

"Don't lie to me!" for the second time in her time with the Uchiha, Yukiko had managed to land a smack on Madara. Atsuko waited for it, the inevitable slap back. But there was nothing.

The maid became very worried, she silently walked away before quickly making her way to the cabin, knocking quite urgently on the door. Her heart was pounding, her other hand gently curled on her chest.

"Izuna-sama," she called, knocking on the door slightly harder.

"Come in." a quiet voice commanded. A shaking Atsuko obeyed, the door slowly opening and her head poking around the door.

"Oh my god."

* * *

><p>"I'm not lying to you, Yukiko. I'm telling the truth and if I'm so disgusting then why haven't you left?" Madara asked fiercely. Her eyes narrowed instantly, her fists clenched even tighter.<p>

"And go where? To the Senju and disrespect Kohaku-san? To my aunt and disrespect myself? You know…" now she knew why she was shaking. Rage, complete rage. "You know I love you and you know I can't go anywhere!" she fell to her knees pathetic and defeated. "I'm at your mercy…Just like Izuna-kun…And your entire clan, we're all under your control and this feels like a betrayal that you're painting as a good deed for us all,"

"You think that I wanted to do this? I barely even remember doing it! Now you've accepted there's nothing you can do, get off the floor and stop this now. We're at war, there's no time for this pathetic drama from _you _if Izuna isn't willing to make any himself," he turned to leave before she pulled herself up, a real fire in her eyes now.

"You'll tell the entire clan what you did," she growled, he looked quite surprised and then gave a low chuckle.

"You try so hard to order me around and I think I just understood why. You've lost control. Both of yourself and this situation, weren't _you _the one who said you believed in me?" she didn't even attempt to answer his question, looking down at the ground. "That's what I thought."

"I'm not just going to let this go unchecked, Madara-sama! Go and tell your clan _exactly _what happened!" Yukiko repeated with an even firmer tone now. He paused before glancing back at her.

"I will, but not because you told me to, Yukiko, I'll do it because it's the honourable thing to do and quite frankly whether you let this go unchecked or not is up to you but I'll take you whether you do or not and if you love me, like you so claim, then you're not going to leave, you won't betray me and most of all…You won't stand here and watch me walk away," Madara explained coldly before heading back to the Stronghold…_His _kingdom.

She wanted to stand there for longer, just to prove him wrong but as soon as she tried her feet moved on their own and she ended up right behind him, her head bowed. When she'd finally bring herself to look in his eyes again, would she just see Izuna's?

* * *

><p>"You've been silent for hours now, Atsuko," Izuna pointed out quietly, she was sat next to him now but shaking a little.<p>

"Actually…Izuna-sama…It's only been about 20 minutes," she gently corrected.

"Hm? Really? Well as you've guess I can't see so I can't tell, what with me seeing no light or anything," he tried to joke but it didn't seem to help. He could almost hear the tears falling onto her lap. "You realise I let him do this, don't you?"

"I know you would have fought Madara-sama off if you hadn't agreed but…It seems an awfully high price to pay," Atsuko wept, he didn't quite know how to answer her though. It did seem like a high price but what else was there? The clan and Madara had to survive and as second-in-command it was his duty to make sure it did and even more importantly it was his duty as a brother.

"There's always a price, Atsuko, so don't cry. Be happy. I'm sure we'll have a huge banquet tonight and celebrate Madara's sight restored!" Izuna sat up, placing his hand on her shoulder. "So c'mon, you'll have to be my eyes while I adjust. There's an up side for you after all, we'll be spending quite a while together," she grasped his arm and helped him up which he rewarded her with a kiss on the cheek.

She wanted him to be angry though, she wanted him to say it was going to be hard.

Atsuko wanted Izuna to be honest for a change.

* * *

><p>Madara left for his office to 'deal with some formalities' and Yukiko went to her secure place. She locked herself in the bathroom, sat against the door with her knees hugged closely to her quivering chest.<p>

She still hadn't been able to look at him but she was finished being angry. Now she was just distraught and scared…Madara had always said he'd never hurt her, but if he'd hurt Izuna, would that change now?

She glanced up over at the mirror, her crimson eyes brimming with tears.

She could remember it clear as day…

_"This is the first time we've talked," Yukiko whispered. "Is the Sharingan really that important? I've seen you fighting, you're talented enough without it," that was two compliments now and the last one hurt her to say more than the first._

_He grunted in reply before adding "An Uchiha without the Sharingan isn't an Uchiha at all,"_

_"Is that what you think? You're defined by your clan?"_

Yukiko slowly got up, making her way to the mirror.

_"I'm bandaging your hand for you," nervously she placed her hand in his outstretched one._

She stared at her reflection.

_"M-Madara-sama, I'm in the middle of something," she stuttered, her grip on Kiyoshi tightening._

_"I was just making sure you were…"_

_"Still here?" she asked, smiling._

_"No," he snapped, glaring at her. He moved forward quickly, grabbing her wrist and bending it until she had no choice but to drop Kiyoshi. "I was making sure you were still listening to me," he growled._

She gently placed her hand on the large mirror.

"What would father do?" she muttered to herself. Her flat palm curling into a fist again and her eyes were tightly shut.

_Get out of my head…Get out of my head…_She repeated to herself, her jaw clenched.

This whole place…it reeked of Madara. There wasn't an escape from him at all, his influence; her memories of him were everywhere.

Did she wish he was dead? No…Never. But she did wish he would show something like remorse.

"_You know I love you!" _

Had she really said that? She bit down on her bottom lip until it began to bleed as the images that Madara had showed her invaded her mind again.

"No!" she shrieked, slamming her fist against the mirror causing it to shatter, the tiny silver pieces falling, some covered with her blood. She pulled her hand back, a shard stabbed right into her hand. She stared down at the mess she'd made and with a weary sigh pulled the shard out, staring at the liquid covering her snow pale skin.

Yukiko slowly closed her eyes, collapsing on the floor as she blacked out from exhaustion.

* * *

><p>"Madara-sama…I…" Aoi stared at him stunned while Madara glared at the boxes in the wall.<p>

"I couldn't see them properly before, tch, that's really not a bad idea," he scoffed before glancing at Aoi. "Go call everyone to the hall; I'll need to explain this situation to them,"

"Yes, Madara-sama," the sensor swiftly left while the leader sat behind his desk, looking over the neat piles of paperwork.

"She runs this damn office too efficiently," he mumbled as he struggled to find some of his documents. "I'll have to ask her myself after this meeting," he jumped up and made his way down to the hall.

* * *

><p>"We're coming up to the main hall now, I can hear Madara," Izuna pointed out, a small smile on his face.<p>

"Perhaps we should stay outside while he explains," Atsuko advised him, the pair standing beside the door listening to Madara.

"So…Due to perhaps my own blind determination to protect the Uchiha I robbed myself of my eyesight and the only way to return it to me was to find a new pair of eyes. Obviously they had to be someone within the clan…" Madara took in a deep breath. He had to say it out loud this time, showing Yukiko had been so much easier than this. "And so Izuna offered his eyes to me," there were several gasps and then a wave of muttering swept across the hall.

Izuna tensed up, this was the part where Madara had to win them back or else he'd lose the Uchiha forever.

"As of now, Izuna is on active duty and will be Head of the Uchiha Council for his sacrifice. I doubt anyone has any complaints? And if anyone does have anything to say about Izuna's eyes, I'll gladly deal with them myself, tarnish his sacrifice and you tarnish the Uchiha name and his, and I will not be taking this lightly. These eyes…My brother's eyes…show that me and him share a common vision now and that is to win this war, destroy the Senju and earn our rightful place at the top of the world where no shinobi shall ever dare challenge us," Madara felt more confident now, his booming voice echoing across the hall and like an infection, his confidence was spread to his men as well.

He was promising them everything. And for everything they were willing to forgive him, for Izuna as well. Their proud and cocky leader was back and to them, that's what mattered, because no one could protect the Uchiha better. Their wives and children could sleep easy now, nothing could break Madara's resolves and in turn nothing would break theirs either.

Izuna laughed. "Head of the Council, that means more work, you bastard of a brother,"

"Our new Council is as follows. Izuna Uchiha, Atsuko Uchiha…" she let out a light gasp as she heard this.

"Izuna-sama, I can take care of your work now," she pointed out, trying not to smile too much.

"Aoi Uchiha,"

"Predictable, the guy's a damn genius," Izuna whispered to her, despite the fact they couldn't be heard outside of the hall.

"Genshi Uchiha," again neither of them said it but it was to be expected, Genshi had vast experience in both politics and battle. "And finally, Yukiko Ginhana."

There was a heavy silence, Izuna opening the door to the hall at this point.

"Yuki-chan?" he yelled from across the hall. "Any reason why there's a non-Uchiha in our Council, Nii-san? I know why but perhaps the men are a little confused,"

Madara glared at his troublesome younger brother, already playing tricks and interfering, any pity he'd felt for the blind one had gone. He was still Izuna and apparently nothing was going to change him.

"Fine, Yukiko because she's far more versed in the dealings of clans than anyone else. I would become frustrated at being ordered around by people who had no idea how to run a clan themselves but rather thought they did. As you all know, Yukiko is an ex-clan leader and so thinks more practically than anyone else on these matters," Madara explained, reminding himself that he wasn't allowed to strangle Izuna in front of the clan.

"I don't think that's what the men want to hear, no matter how true it is," Izuna took in a deep breath, visualising the hall in his mind and began walking down the centre aisle to his brother. "Perhaps you should try that again,"

"She's a non-Uchiha with strictly Uchiha access, I've always said that," Madara tried again, knowing all too well what Izuna was getting at.

"Men, do _you _know why Yukiko has been chosen for the Council?" Izuna asked, having reached his brother table and now turned to face them. "Hands up like good boys and I'm sure Atsuko will pick one of you for me and you can tell Madara your answer. He won't hurt you, I promise,"

Atsuko walked into the hall, noticing the Uchiha were now uneasy but a few of them had been willing to raise a shaking hand. Except one went further, Genshi Uchiha stood up and cleared his throat.

"Genshi-san?" she prompted him as she joined Izuna's side. "You wish to answer Izuna-sama's question?"

"If I may, it probably has something to do with the fact our Honourable Leader has fallen in love," again a wave of muttering spread.

Madara took a deep breath in again, reminding himself he could easily break Genshi's leg again next time they trained together.

"I don't see how my personal life has anything to do with this," he managed, his jaw clenched. "Even if that were true I doubt it's the clan's business,"

"Nii-san, relax we're toying with you. We have been for ages now; if Yukiko isn't willing to admit anything to you then I doubt you'd do the same," Izuna advised with a mocking tone in his voice. "How about a big meal tonight in celebration of our new Council and Madara's return?"

The men roared in agreement at this and vacated the hall to prepare.

"What the hell was that about?" Madara snarled.

"Hm? Oh the Yukiko thing, well…I was talking to her earlier. She's very shaken up, if you tell her how you feel it might make her feel better," Izuna advised before adding. "For poor ol' blind me?"

"Do _not _use that against me." Madara darkly warned before storming out of the hall. The younger Uchiha sighed.

"See, Atsuko? If I pretend everything's okay, it will be. Madara seems to be back to his usual self when I tease him, so I'll do that from now on," Izuna put his arm around her waist.

"I understand, Izuna-sama. If you'd like…You can be honest with me," she offered, gently sorting out his bandages for his eyes. He managed to steal a short kiss from her before replying.

"But I'm always honest with you, Atsuko."

* * *

><p>Madara slammed the door to his room open. No sooner had he regained control had Izuna been up to his old tricks again.<p>

"Yukiko!" he shouted, throwing off his cloak before going to open the bathroom, finding it to be locked he smacked his fist down hard on the door. "Yukiko, dammit, open this door!"

Silence. She wasn't usually silent, usually she'd come out with a gentle assertion she was 'doing something' or she'd agree to open the door. Now he had neither and wasn't quite sure where to proceed.

"You're really testing my patience," he growled, booting the door open and finding the Ginhana, lying on the broken mirror shards, bleeding. His anger melted away quick enough, as he ran back, grabbed a set of bandages from his desk before kneeling down beside her.

He decided he had to get her off of the mirror shards she'd fallen onto, which had cut the right side of her face, arm and exposed leg causing her to bleed more.

Thankfully though, Yukiko was light enough Madara could practically lift her with one arm however he had to be careful not to touch the shards himself.

Muttering as he threw her down on the bed. "Damn woman, bet she fainted at the sight of her own stupid blood and not to mention the mess she's made," he could hardly complain though. He'd broken countless mirrors, windows, doors, bones and various other precious and brittle things due to his anger.

He bandaged her only serious cut, a deep puncture on her hand before getting up. He was amazed to be able to see his room properly again, making a note to praise the high standard of cleanliness Atsuko kept up with.

Madara opened to door to his room, ordering a nearby guard to go get the maid before realising Yukiko was stirring.

"How did I…" her question trailed off as she noticed Madara watching her, she quickly looked away from him and inspected her hand.

"Don't be pathetic enough to ignore me,"

"You're back to your usual self," she scoffed, rolling onto her side so she had her back to him. "I just don't know what to say to you right now,"

"You have no damn right to complain about this! He's not _your _brother!" Madara yelled, anger swiftly returning to him.

"You don't even know why I'm angry!" she shouted back, sitting up and glaring at him. "I'm not angry because of that. It's you! It's your fucking self-righteous attitude! Can't you just admit that it was wrong? That _you _were wrong!"

"Yes I can! And that's why you're on the Council now! Because I made a mistake and I _need_ someone like you!"

Yukiko didn't quite know how to respond to him, she opened her mouth to but couldn't form the words other than "You need me?"

"Do _not _misinterpret what I said…I said I need _someone _like you," Madara corrected, his voice quieter now.

"I need someone like you too," she whispered to him. "I've been immature lately because I felt useless to you, so I stormed around and I did stupid amounts of research until I was so exhausted I passed out and I wasn't honest with you,"

"I've always told you that you have your uses," he rightfully pointed out.

"Is Izuna-kun going to be okay?" she asked him.

"He's already being a pain again so I think so. Not even blinding him has stopped him in his tracks," Madara informed her, sitting next to her on the bed. "Embarrassing me in front of my army,"

"You're right. I…I can't complain because he's not my brother, he's only just been considered my friend again. Madara-sama, tell me honestly, did he really offer his eyes to you?" she moved over so she was sat right in front of him, staring into Izuna's…His eyes. They had that same fire they had done before and that same emptiness at the same time. They _were_ Madara's eyes.

"I would never _ever _steal my own brother's eyes, Yukiko. I raised him and there's not a bone in his body I'd willingly break. He offered me the only way I could protect him, my people," he raised his hand, moving her fringe out of her blinded right eye. "And protect you." Her eyes widened in astonishment as he said this with that same tender look he'd had back at the Fire Daimyo's palace.

His lips gently pushed against hers.

_Knock! Knock!_

"Madara!" Izuna chimed as he and Atsuko walked in, Madara and Yukiko moving away from each other instantly. "Time to get ready for the banquet, think I should go for the bloodstained bandages or get a new set?"

The interrupted pair shared an exasperated look for a moment.

Yes, Izuna was back for good it seemed. Her lips curled to a genuine smile.

"Get a new set, I've got a bloodstained bandage look going on with my hand and I'd hate for us to get confused over whose is whose," she joked. Izuna seemed thrown off for a moment before laughing.

"You see, Madara, you've bagged one with a sense of humour, not like Raimei. Now let's get going to this banquet," Izuna and Atsuko waited outside as the pair got up and formally dressed.

Before leaving the room though, Yukiko grabbed his sleeve.

"Madara-sama, I meant what I said earlier by the lake," she confirmed before quickly leaving to go talk to Izuna.

Madara chuckled to himself. It didn't even need an explanation; he knew exactly what she was talking about.

* * *

><p>"You're on the Council now, Nii-chan," Raimei burst into Aoi's room. He watched her carefully. "Grandmother knew you'd do it,"<p>

"It's a pity for you then, Raimei, that I'm not going to betray Madara-sama," he said firmly.

"You don't need to, the mission's changed," she told him, her arms folded. She hated that cold look her older brother would always give her but she knew Aoi hated her, truth be told she hated him as well. But that's not why she was there.

"I was never part of your damn mission," he snapped.

"Fine. Just be warned, the mission is now the assassination of Yukiko Ginhana."

* * *

><p><strong>OH! More plot, what a naughty fox, Kay is. <em>*sigh* <em>What's wrong, Kagi-kun? _This story is better than mine. _No it's not. It's the same level of writing, I'm sure. Besides your story is more comedy based. _There's lots of drama in my story too! _Yes but you're a funny character. _So's Yukiko. _Can we get back to this story now? _FINE. What do you think is goin' on, Kai? _Nothing much. Yukiko and Madara are so in love it's unbelievable. _They have been for a while now. _But they're close to admitting it. _Yukiko did admit to it._**

**So. Do you think Madara will admit anything yet?**

_**Next chapter: With The Rise And Reform. **_


	38. With The Rise And Reform

AHAHAHA! Vibration is back! And by that I mean I've got a creative flow again now and I'm SO happy. :) More chapters for you guys, eh? Ah...So much to cover now. I don't even know how long this arc will be yet. XD Did I mention Minoru has a theme? Minoru has a theme. Made Out Of Nothing (All That I Am) by C&C. Why? Just that line "It eats us like cancer we're searching for something maybe an answer..." makes me think of him.

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: How Lovely You Burn In The Fllllllame of Error...Oh that's that song about how I don't own Naruto but own my characters and plot. (Btw That's first part is a future title chapter)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Eight<strong>

**With The Rise And Reform.**

The hastily thrown together celebration banquet was just as impressive as an organised one. This time, though, there was drink, sweet sake that took away all of Yukiko's niggling doubts about Madara and Izuna for the moment.

"Yuki-chan, I did say I never had you down as a drinker but you're quite the expert, eh?" Izuna teased, nudging her slightly.

"Just because I don't do the silly things you Uchiha men tend to do doesn't mean I can't drink like one, Izu-kun," she sharply retorted before smirking and taking another sip.

"Never said you couldn't, but I'd be worried about you and Madara drinking at the same time," Izuna laughed, leaning forward to glance at his brother who was pouring himself another cup.

"How comes you're not drinking?" Yukiko asked, aiming the question at both Izuna and Atsuko. "It's not a good celebration if you remember it,"

"I'm on antibiotics and Atsuko doesn't like the taste," the Ginhana rolled her eyes at this.

"No one likes the taste at first, Atsuko," she advised, handing the bottle in her hand to the maid. "Try it," she sighed as Atsuko refused. Yukiko decided to lean against Madara; her eyes shut as if she was trying to sleep but instead she was trying to get rid of the feeling that she was spinning however shutting her eyes only seemed in intensify that feeling. "Madara-sama, we should go find a river,"

"No, we shouldn't," his eyes narrowed as Aoi came walking down to their table. "Aoi?"

"It's regarding my mission," the sensor stated bluntly. Madara glanced down at the steadily getting drunk Yukiko, knowing he'd probably join her in that state soon. But for now…

"Go on,"

"They're going hunting for rabbits," Aoi told him coldly. Yukiko opened her eyes and stared at him.

"You can't hunt rabbits; rabbits are beautiful, smart creatures. Who'd hunt a rabbit?" she asked, slightly slurred. "Other than Madara-sama's bird," she added suddenly.

"Yuki-chan's right, rabbits are beautiful and smart and I'll think you'll find, Aoi, they're also very difficult to catch, let alone kill," Izuna chuckled; she glanced between the two shinobi and then looked at the serious expression on Madara's face.

"Madara-sama, you can't celebrate sober and you definitely can't celebrate with a face like that," she offered him her bottle and a gentle smile.

"She's right, Nii-san, rabbits are a matter the Council will deal with, right Council?" Izuna asked the four present members and then nudged Atsuko. "Where's Genshi?"

"He'll be on his way down here soon, Izuna-sama," she quietly informed him. She still wasn't used to this idea of being Izuna's eyes and nor was she happy about it however being Izuna's Confidant was a role she quite liked.

"I don't feel very well," Yukiko groaned, placing the bottle of sake in Madara's lap.

"That'll be because you're drunk, dammit," Madara hissed in her ear yet she shook her head at this.

"No…_that _sort of not well. I don't usually feel _unwell _I just feel happy usually. Where's Minoru?" she asked, looking up at Aoi. "I don't think he's a spy…Well he was a spy but he's not now. I think I need to see him,"

Aoi switched his gaze from the Ginhana to his leader. "Shall I go get the healer, Madara-sama?"

"Fine."

* * *

><p>Minoru stood on top of the bench, looking out at the world beyond his cell. All the guards were gone and Madara's sight was back, from what he'd heard, and yet Minoru hadn't tried to escape.<p>

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, dragging his attention from the world beyond, to the world within.

Aoi looked at Minoru, his stare as cold as ice.

"Something you need me for, Uchiha?" Kiyomizu asked with an arched brow.

"It's been requested you join Yukiko-san at the celebration," was all he said, opening the cell door. "I warn you to be careful; a room full of drunken Uchiha is not the sort of room you'll want to be running your mouth off in,"

Minoru hardly wanted to 'run his mouth off' in front of Madara, keeping his head down as he entered the grand hall, it was noisy, plenty of shouting and talking and, as Aoi had suggested, plenty of drinking as well.

"Yukiko!" he called to the hazy looking woman, still leaning on Madara.

"Minoru…I'm sorry about the spy thing. I know you were one now but…"

"I abandoned the Senju as being allied with them meant I couldn't do research on the Sharingan like I had wanted to. I'd finished analysing Hashirama-san's cells," Minoru explained before giving her a curious look. "You feeling okay, Yukiko?"

"No…I'm not feeling okay, but I'm not drunk! Well, I am a little drunk, but I'm not…I'm not usually this stupid drunk and I feel really sick and sleepy," she moaned, barely being able to keep her eyes open.

Minoru knelt down opposite her, about to press the back of his hand against her forehead when he glanced at Madara.

"May I?" Madara scoffed and nodded. Minoru's eyes widened in shock for a moment as he felt the heat on her forehead. "Yukiko, what bottles have you been drinking from?" No answer. "Yukiko?"

Madara interjected at this point, handing Minoru the bottle in his lap. The healer unscrewed the top, sniffing the contents.

Aoi looked over his shoulder all of a sudden, and then took off out of the hall.

"Poison." Was all Minoru whispered, Madara called over several of Genshi's squad from a nearby table.

"Go follow Aoi. Now!" he barked. "Hayate!" he ordered the guard over.

"Madara-sama, would you like me to take Yukiko-sama to your quarters and escort Kiyomizu-san there?"

"That's exactly what I want you to do. We'll try and make sure none of the other men realise what's going on," Madara replied, getting up. "Izuna, you're in charge,"

"Tch, aren't I always, Nii-san?"

* * *

><p>Aoi took a sharp turn left before slamming the door to his sister's room open.<p>

"Raimei!" he bellowed, glaring around the room. "I'm a sensor, Raimei, I know you're in here!" he approached the bathroom cautiously though.

"Look…The perfect son showed up," she teased, opening the door. "Father's special little boy…Member of Madara-sama's handpicked Council now as well,"

"What did you do to Yukiko-san?" he asked, ignoring all of her comments. He'd heard them repeated before.

"You're so quick to blame me!"

"You told me you were going to assassinate her!" he snapped angrily. "What's the point in all this?"

"She took what was mine," Raimei hissed. "I was engaged to him,"

"You were deluded into _thinking _you were engaged. What's grandmother said to you? Kill off Yukiko-san and he'll leap into your arms? He'll fucking kill you! You stupid sister! How could you?" Aoi couldn't keep check on his temper anymore, slapping Raimei. "You'll die. Let go,"

"Nii-chan…"

"Shut up, Raimei," a cold deep voice growled from the door of the room. Madara strolled in; the look in his eyes told them he was ready to kill _someone_.

"Madara-sama, forgive me for running however I would like to deal with my sister myself," Aoi bowed, praying that this would be one of the few circumstances Madara would show mercy.

"Get out, Aoi, go check on Yukiko," Madara ordered. The other Uchiha hesitated for a moment. "Now, Aoi,"

Aoi swallowed his pride and left without saying another word.

"Who do you think you are, Raimei? I understand you're angry but how dare you even think about trying to kill her," Madara snarled as soon as the door was shut and Aoi was out of earshot.

"You think others haven't considered it? How could you possibly be sat up there with a woman who isn't even from this country at your side and just tell us we need to accept it!" Raimei swiftly countered as she attempted to keep her voice down.

"You'll accept it because as your leader, that's what I'm telling you to do,"

"Rabbits don't belong with hawks, Madara-sama," she snapped, Sharingan activating on its own.

"Neither do snakes, Raimei. I suggest you keep your nose out of my life before I exile you on grounds of treason," Madara hissed as he took a step closer to her. She backed up against the wall, not able to control the fact her body was trembling slightly with his close proximity and the burning rage in his eyes. She'd been hit by Madara before, countless times and it wasn't something she wanted to experience again.

"Why her and not me though, Madara-sama?" she asked him quietly.

"Because you're repulsive, Raimei. The sex was great but you…as a person? I could never trust you to run the Stronghold, to listen to what I tell you…In fact I could barely talk to you at all nor did I particularly want to," he explained callously, a tiny smirk crossing his lips now. "You just don't have any _real _uses now ask me to tell you Yukiko's,"

Raimei swallowed hard before gaining the courage to talk. "What about hers?"

"She's not a manipulative little girl who throws a tantrum when things don't go her way, now if you have a problem with me or her keep it to yourself and if you don't…"

"It's not just me!" she interjected. "There are more. You can threaten me but you can't threaten them," Madara's hand was instantly gripping her neck.

"And you can't threaten me, if there are people willing to kill her I'll have a guard by her side every second I'm not with her until I find these people and remind them just who it was who took out our dear previous leader without even breaking a damn sweat," he relinquished his grip and left the room, snapping more orders as he did.

Raimei trembled, placing her hand where his had been. She immediately headed down to the cells to report to Yoshi and her grandmother, Fuuka.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was panting in her unconscious state, sweat beading on her forehead as her temperature skyrocketed.<p>

Minoru sat beside her grounding up several tablets and leaves he'd taken out from his bag. Hayate stood watching him cautiously constantly asking what he was doing and how it'd affect Yukiko.

"Hayate-kun, I actually like to work alone…So please stop the questions or I may inject you with a poison and then string you up for Madara-sama to see what a failure you truly are as a guard," Minoru snapped bluntly.

"I'm an Uchiha guard, I'm not a failure. Besides, Yukiko-sama has been nothing but kind to me and Atsuko-san,"

"If you don't mind me asking, wouldn't Yukiko have been the target of assassination with this new announcement?" Hayate gave him no answer however he was suddenly feeling very nervous. The healer smirked. "So why wasn't the _almighty Uchiha guard_ not checking every substance and nook and cranny until they were assured she wasn't in harms way? That's what I'd do in your situation,"

"Because no one would dare defy me," Madara growled as he entered the room. "Go on, Kiyomizu, what kind of poison?"

"It's a good thing she got you to call on me, I suspect she must have thought she had been poisoned and that's why she did. We must remember that Yukiko is…" he trailed off for a moment, staring at her intently.

"Is what?" Madara interrupted his trail of thought.

"She's a poison expert," he muttered in reply, getting up and glancing at the bag on the floor. "I've been working to stop the poison, I've pumped her stomach but unfortunately alcohol gets in the blood stream, it isn't digested so it was just a precaution. Is this her bag?" he asked suddenly.

"Yes it is," Minoru grabbed it, placing its contents on the bed. Photos of her father, a few books and then in one of the pockets of the bag a whole set of various bottles in a variety of sizes.

"Poison antidotes, no doubt made in case she got poisoned by her own kunai or sword and perhaps for you as well, Madara-sama. I'll just need to," he began opening the bottles one by one and smelling its contents.

"You can tell what kind of antidote from the smell?" Hayate inquired, still very nervous and pondering whether he had made a mistake as Yukiko's guard as Minoru had told him.

"Each one will have a core element I'll be able to smell above all others then determine what sort it is…Ah…This is it," Minoru grabbed his own bag and pulled out a syringe, drawing up some of the liquid into it. "I'll place it straight into the artery in her thigh," he warned them; mainly so Madara didn't strangle him again as he pulled back the bed sheets. "Erm…I had to remove her kimono myself, Madara-sama, it was incredibly heavy and would have worsened her fever,"

To his surprise, the Uchiha leader didn't say anything, watching carefully as he injected the antidote and pulled away placing everything back into her bag, lingering for a moment to look at the photo of Yukiko and her father.

The healer stood up and placed the bag back down on the floor carefully before being caught off guard with a punch around the back of the head by Madara.

"I'm warning you, next time you damn well touch her I'll kill you," Madara snarled. "Get out; I'll deal with her myself. Hayate, lead him to one of the nearby rooms, but not too nearby," he ordered, the guard and healer quickly vacating the room.

Madara sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.

He had the Uchiha's backing now but that still wasn't enough, he couldn't shake this awful, sickening feeling of guilt. He got up, opening the drawer to his desk and pulled out one of the many bottles of sake he'd had to confiscate from Yukiko over the months.

He sat on his bed, his back leaning against the wall as he heaved another heavy sigh and unscrewed the bottle, raising it in the sleeping Yukiko's direction.

"To drink…And someone to share it with," he downed the entire contents of the bottle, throwing it on the floor once he was done and placed his hand on Yukiko's head, pleased to feel her fever was going.

He was still angry. Angry at what had happened to Izuna and that he'd been careless enough to think that this would never happen to Yukiko…His guard had been down. Izuna wasn't even holding a grudge and yet Madara was holding one against himself.

No! Bad thoughts…He got up, taking a page out of Yukiko's book, trouble afoot? Drink. He grabbed another bottle.

"Don't think your influence has gone ignored," he muttered to her, quickly drinking the next bottle before lying down and stared at the ceiling. His vision was perfect, even though it was now dark in the room; he glanced at Yukiko, being able to see her perfectly. "Can't you just stay out of trouble for once? Everything goes from bad to worse and then back to bad with you," he carefully ran his hand through her white hair, smiling to himself. "There's almost a sweet irony to a poison expert getting poisoned,"

He laughed, honestly at first but then found it difficult to stop himself, turning his back to her as his hysterical laughter turned to something he hadn't done in a while. He could feel tears forming, not from laughter or some semblance of happiness but from despair. He would rather Yukiko had still looked at him with disgust, who else was going to?

"It's these damn defective eyes," he wept, wiping his tears away. "Must've got it from Izuna, he cries too much for his own good," he reasoned but they simply wouldn't stop.

Yukiko's eyes slowly opened and before she said anything she realised what was going on with Madara. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't quite decide what…Finally, after a few minutes, she chose them.

She gently grasped at a few streaks of his ebony mane and moved closer to him whispering to him. "Soft Madara-sama…Thank you,"

"Thank you?" he hissed back, not feeling confident enough to face her.

"It's called remorse and it means you're not a monster. As long as you feel remorse, you feel human," she moved closer still, her chest pressed against his back. "Why am I undressed?"

He sat up at this point. "That damn perverted healer undressed you and said some bullshit about it affecting your fever. Even if it's true, your body is mine and I've already told him if he does it again I'll kill him,"

"You realise he's my distant cousin, don't you, Madara-sama?" she asked, trying to hold in her laughter.

"Your clans were once related, you barely know him and I can tell he's after you," Madara scoffed. She rolled her eyes, hadn't he been crying moments earlier? She wondered if she'd done too good a job at cheering him up.

"Did you find out who poisoned my sake?" she sighed. "That's a good bottle wasted and you know I hate wasting drink, Madara-sama,"

"No, but you'll have a guard with you all the time while I'm not with you…Two guards actually. Hayate and Aoi," he noticed she was giving him a sceptical look. "That's an order as well,"

"I don't mind…" she yawned. "An order is an order,"

"I may be slightly drunk…" Madara reasoned, his head in his hands again.

"You shouldn't drink so much," Yukiko joked as she shut her eyes.

"You know damn well that you drink more than I have ever done," he purred, nuzzling into her neck.

"You're not well, Madara-sama, whether it's the alcohol or not, your emotions are all over the place, go to sleep," she gently advised but couldn't keep in a slight groan. "Please, Madara-sama,"

He began hungrily sucking and nipping on her neck though, eager to mark her again, instinctively she gripped his hair although she was slightly attempting to pull him away.

Content with the deep purple mark he'd left her with, he laid back down on his back and pulled her towards him, she placed her head on his chest like usual.

"Madara-sama, I think we'll be okay," Yukiko mumbled.

"Not if you let other men take your clothes off we won't be," Madara teased, feeling playful all of a sudden, his arms wrapped around tightly. "How many times must I remind you that you're mine?"

"Never, I've not taken your bracelet off at all, not even when I was…I was considering leaving you for a moment," she admitted sadly, her hand running up his toned chest.

"I told you that your feelings for me would stop you leaving or betraying me and I was right, like usual," he arrogantly told her making her gently laugh.

"Like usual, Madara-sama, that mouth of yours will get you in trouble one day, will you be back to normal tomorrow? Training and preparing for war…"

"I've been slacking and I'm aching for a fight. What's the point in having these eyes if I don't put them to good use?"

* * *

><p>Yukiko woke up groggily the next morning; she could hear a running tap from the bathroom. Groaning, she covered her eyes from the morning sun and slowly got up, noting the bathroom door was open. She threw on some clothes and then checked the bathroom.<p>

Madara stood, running his hand under a tap.

"Something wrong, Madara-sama?" she asked him, her head was feeling very hazy and the last thing she needed was Madara doing strange things.

"I cleaned up that mirror you broke," his voice was solemn as he glanced back over his shoulder to talk to her. "I cut my hand on one of the shards, go back to sleep, you look terrible,"

"I…" she wanted to tell him he sounded terrible but didn't quite know how to word it without seeming rude. "I'm sorry about that, I was just frustrated,"

"Don't do it again."

That's all she was getting from him? No mocking and no scolding?

"Yes, Madara-sama," he turned off the tap, throwing on one of his black shirts and putting an arm around her waist.

"There's paperwork in the office for an upcoming battle, make that your priority. You've got your own office now so take it up there," he kissed her and left.

Yukiko was very confused however didn't have time to chase after him and ask what was wrong, Hayate and Aoi came into the room immediately.

He'd been serious when he'd told her she'd have two guards with her at all time then.

"I get Hayate…But Aoi-kun?" she asked, finding this day was becoming more puzzling.

"Madara-sama thinks I'm too easily manipulated into going against my orders by you," Hayate informed her, his head hung low in shame.

"That's probably true…So where is my own office?" she asked Aoi, who didn't even speak but led her out of the room.

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Nii-san! It's time I get used to fighting blind!" Izuna called to him from the training field, Madara couldn't help but laugh and wonder if his brother would ever grow up.<p>

"Fine, Izuna, but you better realise I'm not going to go easy on you," he told him sternly.

"Oh please, Nii-san! Like I'd ever offend you like _that_,"

Atsuko rolled her eyes from the sidelines but deep down, she liked watching the brothers fight…There was something relaxing about the pair of them enjoying themselves so freely when Madara was usually the type of person to hide away most of his emotions.

She had worried the brothers relationship would change with the taking of Izuna's eyes but apparently neither of them was willing to let go of the other.

"Birds of a feather…" she muttered to herself before laughing softly.

* * *

><p>Yukiko worked tirelessly, despite her hangover and getting over the poison, she had sorted all the squads and handed a set of papers to Aoi.<p>

"Can you go and give these to the squad leaders?" she asked him with a smile.

"I'm afraid I can't, Yukiko-san, remember neither of us can leave your side," he pointed out. Her eyes narrowed.

"Aoi-kun, please go. I'm not going to be attacked in my own office and Hayate is here," she said quite sternly. This arrangement hadn't annoyed her up until now.

"I wish I could, Yukiko-san,"

"Then can you go get…Oh forget it, we'll all go!" she stood up and stormed out of the room, praying that Madara dealt with this situation quickly.

* * *

><p>After Yukiko was done handing out all of the plans herself she made her way back to Madara's room, her guards trailing behind her.<p>

"Yukiko-sama, I'm sure Madara-sama will think about this arrangement if you talk to him," Hayate offered.

"I'm not annoyed…I'm just not feeling well," she sighed, standing outside of Madara's door. "And I'm not sure what's going on, I realise Madara-sama wants me safe but I can't help but feel patronized. I used to run a clan myself; I don't need him protecting me,"

"It's just because he cares,"

"Scram!" Madara yelled from the corridor, surprising the trio. "Yukiko," she moved out of the way of the door before following him into the room.

As soon as the door was shut though, Madara was chuckling to himself.

"You seem better now," she pointed out as she gazed out of the window.

"Of course I do, 3 hours of training and I feel _much _better and now I know I don't have to worry about Izuna," he told her from the bathroom.

Izuna…?

"Why's that?"

"Because he nearly beat me," he said, coming out of the bathroom to grab some fresh clothes. "So now I know he can actually continue to fight alongside me in the next battle,"

"Oh…Wait, what? Izuna-kun's going to war?" the idea actually repulsed her a little, turning from the window to look at him with her stunned expression. "But he's blind…"

"Yes he is and he's also an Uchiha," he stated, laughing at her shocked look. "It'd be a shame to lose our strongest captain, don't you think?"

"I think you've been at the sake again, he's blind, Madara-sama and…And…" flustered she stamped her foot on the floor. "Now I need to go and do my battle plans all over again to include Izuna-kun," she ran out of the room.

Izuna entered moments later.

"You teasing Yuki-chan again?" he asked slyly.

"It's good exercise for her besides, she needs to stop just _assuming _things," Madara pointed out yet he couldn't help but smirk.

"I still think you're being mean. She's already annoyed with her guards, I think,"

"Izuna, she's a woman. She'll be annoyed by everything, that's how women are, although now I have my eyesight back she's surprised me," the elder brother sighed as he started running a bath.

"You're going to say something horrible now, aren't you?"

"No…She looks a lot better to me now," Madara countered. "But either way, I'm going to exhaust her whether it's running around the Stronghold or by other measures and that why she'll have no energy to go get nearly killed again," he continued.

"So…You're going to make her tired to protect her, you realise now _I _think you've been at the sake, don't you? Besides I think you say these things sometimes just as an excuse to satisfy your own sex drive," Izuna scoffed as he sat down in the bathroom by the door.

"Taken the maid yet?" Madara asked trying to sound casual.

"No…What's that got to…"

"Then don't come to me talking about my relationship," he cut his younger brother off swiftly however Izuna had a comeback.

"It's a relationship now, is it?"

"You make it _so _easy to kill you sometimes, Izuna," Madara scolded. "And what else would it be? I'm hardly sleeping with anyone else and it's gotten complicated."

"Complicated, you say? As in feelings have gotten involved," Izuna whistled after this before adding. "That's a tough one for you, Madara,"

"No as tough as not strangling you. Why're you here?"

"I'm keeping you company…I won't peek, I promise," he joked, touching the bandages lightly. "I'm thinking of making them black,"

"It'll match the bruising I'll give you in a minute…"

* * *

><p>"Minoru!" Yukiko called, finding the healer outside the infirmary.<p>

"Yuki…" she immediately smacked him, remembering what Madara had told her the night before. "Right…So he mentioned it,"

"Hard not to when I woke up practically naked, come with me, I've got jobs to do," she beckoned, feeling as though she'd have the whole army on her back following her soon enough. "What kind of poison was it?"

"I didn't find anything in the infirmary so I was going to check the forest again, I think I'm onto something. It must have been someone who left the Stronghold last night though for the poison to have been fresh enough to be that potent," Minoru explained in a whisper to her.

"I wish I could shake off these guards, and then I could do this all so quickly," she hissed back. "But I like Aoi-kun and Hayate,"

"Talk to Madara…Sorry Madara-sama about it then," she shook her head at this suggestion.

"No…Me and you will do this, he's been through enough already. I refuse to put Madara-sama into anymore stressful situations that I can deal with myself. We'll shake them off and do this, Minoru, okay?" she asked him, desperately making sure Aoi and Hayate couldn't hear them.

"Ah, Yukiko, I love it when a woman takes commands,"

* * *

><p><strong><em>I like this Minoru guy, he's cool. <em>He is cool...But still...He's touching my fox! _Kai, she's not yours, she's Mad's. _I don't care! I hope Madara burns him! If I'd undressed Yukiko I'd be dead! _You are dead. _YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN! _So you did have feelings for her? _Yes, I did. *sniffles* Now I have to read about her sex life with Madara, it drives me mad! _Itachi-san! Help me...This guys gone nuts *leaves* _You're not being supportive, Kagi-kun. Fine. Question. **

**Who else is behind this assassination mission? **

**Next chapter: I Bless The Hour That Holds Your Fall!**


	39. I Bless The Hour That Holds Your Fall

Did I mention this arc is split into two parts? No? This arc is split into two parts and this part is called "Assassinate Yukiko!" for obvious reasons. The next part is "This War Will Tear Us Apart..." :) So enjoy this arc. It's a biggie.

Chapter Title: The Crowing - Coheed And Cambria

Disclaimer: I'm watching my best friend play Assassin's Creed Brotherhood. Ezio has just been told that I don't own Naruto but I own my characters and plot when there is one. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Thirty-Nine<strong>

**I Bless The Hour That Holds Your Fall!**

"Plan…Yukiko?" Minoru asked as they went into the kitchen.

"I'm going to make lunch! I'm really hungry after all that running around, have you ever had food from the Land of Water?" Yukiko asked, apparently ignoring his question.

"I have in my travels," Minoru answered with a sigh. "And obviously my mother cooked homemade recipes,"

The two Uchiha, though, had not and as such she immediately began cooking one of the only two meals she knew how to, omelette and fried rice.

It didn't take Yukiko long at all and soon enough they were all sitting down to eat.

"At first I was a little upset but now I quite like the company. It might make our bond stronger for battles, Aoi-kun," Yukiko broke the silence at the table.

"You're in the same squad?" Minoru seemed surprised.

"Yes, I lead Sensor Squad Genshi although it's been renamed to Sensor Squad Yukiko. We're usually on the front line actually; we're quite a tight group. It's me, Aoi-kun, Takehiko-kun and…" she trailed off, a frown appearing suddenly. "We lost a member during our raid on the Senju Stronghold, our dear member Kohaku-san,"

Minoru was genuinely saddened by this, tapping her on the shoulder. "Well that's how war is…"

_And now Madara-sama's sending Izuna-kun into it blinded…_

Aoi and Hayate suddenly smacked their heads on the table.

"Erm…Sleeping tablets?" Minoru asked, blinking a few times in shock.

"Yes, I figured if me and Izuna-kun could manage to drug Madara-sama then getting these two would be easy," she laughed gently before getting up. "Now we've got some investigating to do,"

* * *

><p>"I've been thinking…" Izuna began suddenly, still sitting in the bathroom while Madara bathed. "We're going to battle with the Senju in a few days, right?"<p>

"Uh huh…"

"And I'll be coming with you like usual. Think I can pretend that I'm actually mocking them and I've decided I can beat them without my eyes?" the young Uchiha laughed softly. "Imagine the look on Tobirama's face!"

"I want you to focus on the weaker squads for now," Madara told him sternly, ignoring the small whimper his brother let out at this.

"Yea well…"

There was several sudden knocks at Madara's door, he rolled his eyes and sighed however Izuna beat him to it, slowly getting up and making his way out of the bathroom and to the door.

"Ah…Izuna-sama…We found Aoi and Hayate unconscious in the kitchen and Yukiko and that Kiyomizu guy are missing!"

Madara was up and dressed before Izuna could even suggest it.

"Damn woman…" he growled quietly.

"Nii-san...?"

"I'll kill her myself pretty soon!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Minoru headed to the gates.<p>

"Excuse me, who was on duty just before the banquet?" Yukiko asked the nearby guard very polite.

"That'd be Genshi, ma'am,"

She seemed puzzled for a moment. Minoru grabbed her arm.

"Something bothering you, Yukiko?" she shook her head before looking up at him. Her one visible red eye seemed hazed over as she was deep in thought.

"Maybe…Genshi-san wasn't around for most of the banquet you know…I remember something,"

_"She's right, Nii-san, rabbits are a matter the Council will deal with, right Council?" Izuna asked the four present members and then nudged Atsuko. "Where's Genshi?"_

_"He'll be on his way down here soon, Izuna-sama,"_

"He wasn't there when I started to become ill…"

"Well he was there moments later. I remember him, the guy with a bit of a limp right?" Minoru asked, turning around suddenly. "Yukiko…We have a problem,"

"Let me think for a moment, Minoru," she hissed angrily. "No one was on duty…"

"Seriously, Yukiko, big problem,"

"Where would Genshi-san be now…?"

"YUKIKO!" a sudden roar pulled her from her thoughts as she stared up at Madara, blinking a few times and then swallowing hard before even attempting to talk to him.

"Madara-sama, I was just doing some work for you," she managed, looking to Minoru for a moment before her eyes went back to the Uchiha.

"You're in trouble…" Izuna chimed from behind Madara, not able to hide his grin. "You're supposed to have two guards with you at all times!"

"Thank you, Izuna-kun. I realise I did wrong but I think I have an explanation," she told him with a gentle smile.

"It better be one hell of an explanation," Madara growled. "What am I supposed to do? Tie you up?" she blushed at this suggestion, looking to the side for a moment.

"No…I was just checking who was on duty last night,"

"Genshi. He's down in the cells being investigated," his answer seemed to have surprised her. "I don't waste time, Yukiko. I dealt with that before I went and trained with Izuna. I'm quite angry that you didn't think I'd have done something like that myself,"

And now she was in the wrong again, she hung her head low and muttered an apology.

"Come with me. Izuna, deal with the healer," Yukiko obediently followed Madara back into the Stronghold while Izuna spoke to Minoru.

"So…You were a Senju spy," Izuna said casually as Atsuko caught up with him. "Got anything you want to tell us?"

"No, I'm going home soon. This place has too many people and as fun as you Uchiha are, I am very much a person who needs to be on his own," Minoru sighed, however the blind Uchiha grabbed his shoulder.

"Yea…About that, it's not really your decision when you leave. It's up to one of those two or me," Izuna informed him with a playful tone. "So Mr Person Who Needs To Be On His Own…I want to play a little game…"

* * *

><p>"I really can't believe you…" Madara hissed quietly but she heard him.<p>

"I'm sorry, Madara-sama, it's been a long day of running around and…"

"Shut up!"

She sighed, she really felt like she didn't have a leg to stand on and all day she'd been fighting the urge to just go to bed. Yet she had to admit to herself that perhaps this was Madara's way of showing he cared, through his possessive nature and that thought cheered her up, just a little. She still had to deal with his flaming temper.

He opened the door to their room and strangely enough was polite enough to let her go in first.

Yukiko hated to think badly of him, but she was now becoming very suspicious. He softly shut the door behind her. She turned to see what he was up to but instantly his lips were on his. Ah, that was it, was it?

Her hands ran up his back as she savoured that sweet sensation of passion once more. Before she knew it, Madara had pushed her onto the bed, his hands seizing her wrists. She moaned slightly before suddenly pulling away from his kiss. When had he had the time to tie her to the bed?

Madara suddenly got up, glancing down at his handy work.

"M-Madara-sama…I thought you were joking about tying me up," she stuttered, pulling on the chakra bonds.

"Yukiko, I hardly ever joke," he told her flatly. Damn him…"Besides I quite like it, perhaps when I get back we can resume this little session,"

"Get…back? Madara-sama…" she watched him head to the door. "Madara-sama! Untie me! Madara-sama!"

"Keep shouting my name, my dear, it only makes it more pleasing," and he left, much to Yukiko's horror and displeasure.

"Madara-sama! Come back here!" she yelled in frustration. She sighed wearily. "I've become one of those women, father. The type who're addicted to the touch of a man, I think. I let my guard down so please forgive me…"

* * *

><p>Atsuko, Izuna and Minoru couldn't help but notice Madara's good mood at the dinner table and also couldn't help but notice something was missing as well.<p>

"Have you lost Yuki-chan or something?" Izuna asked, the other two looking at him in surprise that he'd had the nerve to ask his brother about her.

"Nope, she's tied up in my room," Madara answered curtly. Izuna chuckled.

"We don't need to know what you two get up to…A few of us have actually heard it," Izuna slyly retorted causing Madara to glare at him.

"It's for her own safety actually. She can't get out of my room, she can't cause any trouble. I realised the only reason she gets into so much trouble is because she has too much freedom," Madara explained with a smirk.

"So your solution is to tie her up…So that if anyone gets into your room to kill her…She can't fight back?"

Silence.

* * *

><p>Yukiko yawned, she would have fallen asleep but the bonds were tight on her wrists and making her feel uncomfortable.<p>

Her attention was pulled away from her predicament to the sound of footsteps down the hall. Madara, perhaps?

She prayed it was, eying that Hoshi was sat on the window sill now, watching the door intently.

"Hoshi?"

The bird didn't take his eyes off of the door and she couldn't help but worry. Sure she wasn't the bird's master but he always acknowledged her even when he hated her.

The door opened and a group of Uchiha she vaguely recognised came in.

"Damn…KIYOSHI!"

* * *

><p>"So it <em>was <em>your plan," Izuna panted, holding onto his brother's sleeve as they headed to his room.

"I had a few Uchiha stand guard hidden away in case of anything happening," Madara's door was open and blood splattered across the door.

The elder Uchiha stormed into the room, the assassins laying dead on the floor and Yukiko, still tied up, glared at him with Kiyoshi clasped in her hands.

"Madara-sama, please untie me," she asked bluntly. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't impressed with her display, the fact she may use Kiyoshi to defend herself still hadn't crossed his mind.

He couldn't help but laugh.

"Izuna, you can make your own way back to the hall, can't you? Go get Atsuko and a few people to clean up in here," he asked his confused brother.

"Of course I can, I'm not _blind_. Well…I am but I'm not a complete idiot, we've lived here all our lives," a flustered Izuna quickly left, making sure to shut the door behind him.

"You have a bad habit," he began as he sat down next to her, prying Kiyoshi from her grasp and placing him back in his sheath. "Of being able to surprise me,"

"I'm very sorry about your men, I just...I didn't feel like I had any other choice," she admitted sadly with a sigh.

"They were going to kill you. However I'm offended by your lack of faith in me, everything was under my control as always," he told her sternly making her feel even worse. Of course she'd doubted him, he'd tied her up and left her defenceless!

"I still felt like I had no choice and I'm still sorry."

"They were clearly nothing more than traitors. Even the best of gardens need weeding from time to time, I'm hardly going to hold a grudge," Atsuko and a few guards came in as he said this, working quickly to clean up her mess.

"It's still not right, they were your clansmen," Yukiko pointed out, noting that he wasn't making any attempt to untie her. "Can you really be that cold?"

"It's a big clan and I've got no room for people who are willing to defy me, I've always told them so," he countered however she still wasn't letting go of the issue.

"What about their wives?"

"They clearly aren't a good judge of character, although I hardly hold women responsible," the Uchiha retorted snidely, she was shocked that the several guards in the room didn't even react to what he was saying. Either they were extremely loyal, extremely dense or just weren't listening.

"I never said you should," she sighed, shaking her head. She was done with this conversation, it was too tiring. Madara just had a completely different approach to leadership than she did and while it used to annoy Yukiko now it just made her feel...so tired.

Atsuko and the guards quickly left and for once the pair fell into a comfortable silence, well Madara was comfortable, Yukiko was still shifting around to get out of the chakra bonds binding her.

"When will you accept that this is futile?" Madara asked her with a laugh in his voice. She rolled her eyes, staring up at the bonds.

"Nothing is futile." was all she could manage.

"When faced with an Uchiha, it's best to admit everything is futile. That goes double for me, Yukiko," he whispered in her ear with a dark yet seductive tone that made her shudder.

"And yet, tied up, I just killed four of your men without moving an inch," she hissed back, now she'd play his game.

"Fodder. That's all they were, men not worthy of the name Uchiha," he argued, placing one hand gently on her bonds. "And you're a different sort of prey, the sort that requires a firmer touch," his hand moved from her wrists to under her chin in a flash. A pink hue hit her cheeks, Yukiko looked away from him trying to put up that wall of ice again. She wouldn't be caught off-guard by him again. "Yukiko," he breathed onto her neck before nipping at her skin.

"Madara-sama, please untie me," she asked again, this time with more urgency.

"I don't think I will when you plead so desperately," Madara growled before seizing her lips and his tongue surging into her parted lips. There was an urgent knock on the door. "Oh I...may have to kill someone." he snarled, getting up and undoing her bonds. "Come in!" he yelled.

Izuna and Atsuko came in, predictably.

"Sorry, Nii-san, I know you didn't want any interruptions but there's been an urgent message. Several clans including the Senju are attacking the Fire Daimyo's palace and our presence is required immediately. I've rallied the men, come on," Izuna explained hurriedly.

"I'll come as well," Yukiko offered, however Madara pushed her down.

"I meant what I said, you're forbidden from going onto the battlefield. You're too reckless, too emotional," he ordered angrily.

"Madara-sama, I can fight!" she exclaimed. "Please,"

"That's an order, dammit, now listen to me and wait here. Who else can run the Stronghold now that Kohaku is gone? You're a member of the Council and it's your job to keep this place running while I'm away,"

Izuna tugged on Atsuko's sleeve, subtly hinting they should leave the two to argue alone.

"It's also my job to protect people," Yukiko snapped. "Who am I protecting here?"

"The most vulnerable people! I'm fed up with arguing with you. I'm your leader, Yukiko, now listen to me and do what I tell you!"

She scowled at him but dropped the argument. "Fine...I wish you a fresh snowfall," she muttered.

Madara sighed, kissing her forehead. "I don't need your blessing but thank you. I'll be back and there'll be less Senju in this world. Consider that a blessing,"

And with that Madara had left for war again and Yukiko sat, staring at her bracelet before fiddling with her necklace.

"That blessing wasn't for you, Madara-sama..." she slowly stood up and made her way down to the kitchen to grab something to eat, finding Minoru wandering aimlessly around.

"Minoru! What're you doing here?"

"Being held prisoner! That psycho brother told me I'm not leaving until I play a game with him. It involved messing up files and reading to him about various things I don't even remember now," the healer moaned, glad to see her at least.

"Don't be offended, Izuna-kun still plays games with me," she laughed, playfully patting him on the back. "It just means he likes you or rather he finds you interesting,"

"He's a psycho...The damn blind fool has run off to war! Blind!" Minoru exclaimed angrily.

"If I know anything about the Uchiha it's that they aren't keen on slowing down when they're on the path of war. Of course, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried myself however with Madara-sama gone we can continue our investigation ourselves. I think we should talk to the old Council members tomorrow and see what they have to say about this situation," Yukiko explained as she found several pork buns in the kitchen and began carrying them up to Madara's room, Minoru persistently following her.

"And you think they'll talk to you?"

"I know that Yoshi will talk to me. I've dealt with him before he's just...The sort of prey that requires a firmer touch as Madara-sama would say," she began eating while reading through several papers on the desk in the room.

"This place operates very strangely and you don't seem at all worried about Madara-sama," he sighed, lying down on the bed.

"You need to stop doing that, Minoru. It's quite rude," she scolded, glancing back at him.

"I know, but I can't help myself. It's relaxing,"

"Well go relax somewhere else, that's Madara-sama's bed and mine. I'm usually a very tolerant person however I draw the line at sharing my bed with suspicious men," Yukiko informed him getting up as she took another bite of food.

"You're so possessive at times. Then again, I'd be too in your awkward position," Minoru leapt up. "I shall take my leave then, Yukiko-_sama_," she got up and turned to face him as soon as he said this.

"Position? Minoru..." Yukiko ran to the door as he left, frowning slightly. "Position?"

* * *

><p>Madara grabbed his younger brother's arm before they reached the palace.<p>

"Take care of the smaller groups, remember?" Madara told him quietly.

"I remember, Nii-san," was all Izuna said with quite an angry tone. "I'll deal with them..."

"Remember, Izuna, I'm not just your older brother, I'm your superior and my word is final,"

"Pulling rank on me, Madara?" Izuna asked him, his fists clenched. "When did you ever do that?"

"I'll do it whenever I have to, now we can't dawdle much longer. Let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Hey, Kagami. I heard your story is close to being put up here. <em>No. I've got to wait for A Fresh Snowfall to end first. Then I'll be around! <em>Oh damn. So...War and blind people. _I know. Scary! And I love Minoru. So mysterious. _Yes he is. And very nice although he'll probably be the last new character we meet. _That's a shame but it makes sense I guess. _Isn't he...? _Yes. We'll come to that later. _So naughty. So questions?**

_**What do you think of Minoru? I like him. :)**_

**Next chapter title! A Lost Day Killed In Motion.**


	40. A Lost Day Killed In Motion

Let's get rolling, shall we? I won't flounce around I'm about to go to bed. It's 1:44am here so review this while I sleep lol. Btw...Listen to Deranged by Coheed and Cambria. Amazing song for the new Batman game. Yup, a lil bit of advertisement in my own story for something else entirely. :) Iris in 20 more chapters. Be patient with me. X3 God. Can you remember 20 chapters ago? So long...So very long...

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: I does not-eth owneth Naruto...Eth?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty<strong>

**A Lost Day Killed In Motion…**

Yukiko wandered down the corridor, finding Minoru outside the infirmary again.

"You've got no guards today," he pointed out, throwing her a bottle. "That poison is it by the way,"

"I'm in charge right now so I ordered them not to guard me but instead to investigate. Genshi-san's not talking and I don't know why. This is a complex poison," she explained as she opened up to bottle and examined its contents. "To make it so quickly as well you'd need quite the skills. I doubt Genshi-san has them,"

"That sounds like a simple case of going through the clan registry and checking who has what skills," Minoru deduced, at this point Atsuko came round the corner cautiously.

"Forgive me for eavesdropping, Yukiko-sama, but perhaps I could help. I'd like this issue dealt with quickly myself," Atsuko said, glancing at the bottle in Yukiko's hand.

"Alright, the more people the quicker this will be. We just need to go to Madara-sama's office," Yukiko ordered, making her way there before stopping for a moment. "Left…or right…"

"Right, Yukiko-sama,"

* * *

><p>Madara was annoyed. Not only was this a full-blown assault that was costing him a lot of time, energy and men but he had lost track of Izuna. Usually he didn't mind losing track of his brother but now he was annoyed, Izuna could be up to anything and he'd have no clue.<p>

"Madara-kun…" that smug voice that rubbed Madara the wrong way purred from behind him. "I've had some worrying reports," the savage Uchiha turned around quickly, fire burning in his Sharingan.

"Don't worry, you Senju bastard. Your clan will be no more soon and then you'll receive no more worrying reports," he snarled fiercely, adrenaline really pulsing through him now. He was in _that _moment. That moment of releasing all that anger onto all who wronged him.

"You're angrier than usual, Madara-kun. I'm trying to ask you something," Hashirama was cut off instantly, Madara launching at him. The Senju jumped back, pulling out a scroll and conjuring a sword.

There was no way Madara was listening to him now; he'd gone off the deep end in a haze of anger.

* * *

><p>Izuna waited, sensing that the Senju was closing in on him. He took in a deep breath, his hand running through his bangs before twirling them round his fingers.<p>

_Think, Izu…Think…_

He could hear it now, those footsteps rushing behind him. His free hand gripped the hand grip of the tanto. Izuna could hear his heart pounding now.

_I'm sorry, Nii-san…_

He turned around as he heard the scrapping of Tobirama unsheathing his katana. The two weapons clashed together. He could hear there were a few other ninja with him. Izuna smirked.

"I assume your brother is fighting mine. This will go down like usual then," Izuna laughed. "You're still no match for me, Tobirama,"

"Don't you start, Uchiha. You dare show up here blind? Your arrogance will kill you!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko, Minoru, Aoi, Atsuko and Hayate all sat in Madara's office working. The papers were scattered all over the room, Hayate had a list in his hand.<p>

"Yamiko has been a medical-nin for 25 years, could she…?" Minoru began.

"Nope, she's a senile old woman now," Aoi swiftly interrupted him.

"Wait…Minoru…You're onto something. We've not really been checking the medical-nin. It's probably because I'm a sensor and work on the front line but you're a healer, you can make poisons like that. We need to stop what we're doing and check all the medical-nin," Yukiko explained with a sudden burst of thought.

"Yes, we can work to check on all the senior medical-nin first. I'll focus on their family background," Atsuko offered, jumping up and pulling out more forms. "It shouldn't take too long now we've narrowed down our search,"

* * *

><p>Hisano sat in the bedroom; she had a lot on her mind and was going over some of the battle plans the Senju had sent her.<p>

Her exasperated husband stood at the door, rolling his eyes.

"Hisano, my love, really? You need to relax…" he entered the room and gently took the papers from her. "Listen to me; you're not a kunoichi anymore. You don't need to worry about this,"

"I've barely heard from my informant for a while now,"

Keiji groaned. "An informant, really?" He was beginning to lose hope in his wife ever leaving her life behind at all.

* * *

><p><em>Zentaro Yuu, the Water Daimyo, walked down the snowy road with Keiji. <em>

_"You're young, my boy. I'm very sorry to hear of your father's passing. A daimyo at just 20 is a very difficult task," Zentaro sighed, shaking his head. "However I'll help you," _

_The blonde flicked his hair out of his eyes. "Thank you, Zentaro-san; I hope to learn from your example,"_

_A young girl, aged 4, suddenly appeared, chasing a rabbit across the path in from of them. She had pure white hair and keen red eyes that turned from the rabbit to the men in an instant. _

"_Ah…" Zentaro knelt down. "You're Yukiko-chan, aren't you?" _

"_Yes I am, sir. You're papa's friend, aren't you?" she awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other, crunched on the snow as she spoke. "He's at home."_

"_I know, me and my friend were going to go see him. Want to come with us?"_

_The girl looked over at where the rabbit had been running but then nodded. _

"_Do you know who this is, Yukiko-chan?" he asked her, gesturing towards Keiji. _

"_Yes, you just said. He's your friend," the men couldn't help but laugh at the stark way a child's mind worked. _

"_His name is Keiji Osaka and he's the new Hot Water Daimyo," _

_She blinked up at him a few times before replying. _

"_Hello, Osaka-tan, my name is Yukiko Ginhana!" she leapt forward and bowed. _

"_Yuki! Yuki!" a calm voice called out from behind the men. "Yuki, where are you?" a young woman, around Keiji's age, with the same white hair and red eyes was standing behind them. _

"_Zentaro-sama, we weren't expecting you," the woman said before bowing. "You wish to see Nii-chan?" _

"_Hisano, dear, there's no need for formalities. I'm here as a friend, not as a Daimyo. I've brought along the new Hot Water Daimyo," _

_She eyed him up and down, it was the first time he'd felt awkward under such an intense gaze. She then smiled. _

"_It's very nice to meet you…"_

"_Keiji. Keiji Osaka…" he stumbled before laughing. "You're?"_

"_Captain Hisano Ginhana. I lead the tactical division here oh and I'm Yukiko's aunt," _

* * *

><p>"Keiji, did you even hear what I was telling you?" Hisano snapped, breaking him out of his memories for a moment. "You got that spaced out look that you get when you're reading a good book," she giggled, the look of irritation on her face had melted away.<p>

"No I didn't hear what you were telling me…Do you remember the look you gave me when we first met?" he asked her, sitting down beside her.

"That was 16 years ago, of course I don't, but I do remember that you were a bit of a stuttering mess and I wasn't very impressed by you," Hisano explained as she put the papers to one side. "You've got my attention now."

"I was really hoping to talk to you about this stupid war and Yukiko and that if you don't calm down you'll hurt yourself and our child," Keiji said, the exasperation was as clear as day not only in his voice but on his face. He was tired of this already.

"I told you that I'm relaxing now and look, the papers are away from me now," she correctly pointed out, taking her glasses off.

"Have you ever considered that maybe Yukiko is happy with the Uchiha? She seems pretty determined to stay," Keiji began after taking a deep breath. "She's not the type of person to outright say things usually but her actions definitely say that she wants to stay there,"

She gave him a look of 'Oh please' before saying "Who could be happy with that madman?"

"Yukiko, apparently. She's nearly 22 so I'm sure she can make her own decisions in life. All I'm saying is that she's lost her father, her mother, her whole clan just like you have and now you're planning on taking even more from her. You realise she said it herself, she has feelings for Madara and she has friends in the Uchiha clan. Imagine that, Yukiko with friends," Keiji laughed slightly before just observing the look on his wife's face as she was deep in thought.

"She'll get hurt. She needs to be here with her family. It's all her toxic mother's fault this happened," Hisano hissed, her fists clenching.

"Ritsuko was just doing what she thought was right, besides Yukiko is nothing like her mother. She's much more like you," Hisano glared at him as he said this.

"I told you, once our baby is born; I'm going to go sort her out myself. She's not why we started this war anyway. That Fire Daimyo has to be stopped before anyone else is hurt. Now I really need to send another letter to my informant," she said wearily, getting up and grabbing a fresh piece of paper. "He wasn't even supposed to be there,"

"What do you mean? Which informant is this now?" he asked her, watching her very carefully. She seemed unsteady with her added weight, sitting back down immediately.

"Minoru Kiyomizu. He accidentally got dragged into this and I feel quite sorry for him. Last time I heard from him Madara had his eyesight back and now I want to know what Madara plans to do with this assault on the palace."

* * *

><p>Yukiko groaned as she stood up, stretching.<p>

"Six days…And we're no closer to figuring this out," she said, her small team glancing up at her. "Perhaps it actually was Genshi-san,"

Minoru shook his head. "There's no way it could be him. There are a few ninja here who have the expertise but they all have alibis,"

"So maybe they didn't make it," Aoi concluding earning puzzled looks from everyone else. "How do we know when these papers were last updating? It says a few months. If they were planning this then maybe one of the ninja trained someone else to make that one particular poison so that they'd have an alibi,"

There was a silence and then Minoru huffed. "So this was pointless. There's no way of knowing if that's the case. Didn't you say you could ask one of the old Council Members, Yukiko?"

"I could try talking to Yoshi, he's answered me before. Allow me to go try…Aoi-kun can you come with me?" the pair headed to the door when Yukiko stopped and told the rest of them. "Make a list of medical-nin with an alibi but a motive,"

Aoi and Yukiko wasted no time in heading down to the cells quickly. She found Yoshi, still a broken man in the cell. Madara having concluded it was better to not kill him and just let him rot away.

Yoshi was right, Madara would be ruthless.

"Yoshi, I need to talk to you," she told him as she slowly walked into the cell. She felt a pang of guilt and pity for him as he looked at her with a slightly glazed look. "It's about me,"

"What am I supposed to know about you?" he asked her, eyes narrowed. The dog still had bite apparently.

"I just need some names; people are trying to kill me,"

"Good." He sneered. Yukiko rolled her eyes; did she really have to do this again? Would it work a second time?

"I'm sorry, do you want Madara-sama to come down here and ask you himself? I forgot how very happy he is with you right now, Yoshi. So I'll ask you again," she crossed her arms at this point, standing up straight and raising her eyebrows. "Names?"

"I'm not who you want to talk to, talk to Fuuka," he laughed, a worrying laugh that just didn't sit right with Yukiko at all, sending a chill down her spine.

"Thank you," she turned and quickly left the cell. "Your grandmother, right?" she whispered to Aoi.

"Yes. Perhaps…I have an idea, stay here, please, Yukiko-san," he asked her before briskly heading down to his grandmother's cell. She sat down outside of Yoshi's cell, watching the old Uchiha.

"Does Atsuko come and see you?" she called out to him, Yoshi glared at her as though she'd said something awfully rude. Perhaps she had.

"No, I don't get along with my daughter," she found this hard to believe. From what she'd seen of Atsuko she had no one she didn't get along with. She was neutral with pretty much everyone.

"Any reason?"

"Things that aren't your business," he snapped. She wasn't surprised; she just shrugged and went back to waiting for Aoi.

* * *

><p>Madara and Hashirama clashed again, both men showing sign of fatigue now. Their attacks were less vicious and more just a show of power than any actual attempt to harm the other. The Senju was panting, Madara had small drops of sweating slowly tracing down his face.<p>

"Neither of our armies are going to last this, Madara-kun, we're evenly matched as usual," Hashirama told him, chuckling slightly.

"I'm not giving up this time," Madara's eyes still burnt with a spirit his body just couldn't keep up with. "Not a chance in hell,"

"One day, we'll fight just me and you. Then you won't give up but for now you've got your men to worry about," Hashirama explained, noticing Tobirama was heading down towards them. "And we have our brothers,"

The mention of Izuna pulled him out of his rage for a moment, where was his brother? It had been a while now…

Tobirama's blue armour had a large crack in it, blood dripping down in a slow but never-ending stream.

"Well done, Madara-kun, it looks like you've won this one," Hashirama made his way away from Madara to his younger brother. "Go check on Izuna,"

"You're not getting away from me this time!" Madara snarled, about to prepare a jutsu when one of his men called to him.

"Madara-sama! Come quick! It's urgent!"

* * *

><p>There was a loud smash in the kitchen, Minoru running in as soon as he heard it.<p>

"Atsuko?" the healer asked. The maid stood there, shaking a little as she stared down at the broken bowls.

"I don't drop things very often, I'm very sorry," she muttered, bending down to clean up. Minoru smiled slightly as he helped her.

"Something wrong, Atsuko?" she shook her head.

"I couldn't think for a moment. My mind just went completely blank but I'm fine now. Thank you, Kiyomizu-san,"

The door opened again and this time Aoi and Yukiko walked in, the pair stopping in their tracks with a confused look on their faces.

"What happened here?" Yukiko was the first of the two to speak and she too helped pick up the shards.

"Atsuko was probably daydreaming about Izuna-kun," Minoru joked causing even Aoi to laugh a little.

"Th-that's not true," Atsuko tried feebly to defend herself. "Yukiko-sama, do you think of Madara-sama often?"

The question threw Yukiko off completely apparently. It took her about half a minute to even come up with a reply.

"I mean…Yes, I do. But it's usually when I'm going to sleep. Maybe I miss him a bit more then because I'm used to being close to him. But…I mean I don't do it obsessively," Yukiko managed, keeping her eyes on the shards of ceramic that she was picking up.

Hayate wandered in, looking much less cheerful than the rest of them.

"Madara-sama will be returning this evening and he's informed me that you and Atsuko are to wait for him in the Council room,"

The cheerful mood was gone in an instant.

"Did he say why?" Yukiko asked, standing up.

"No, his letter…Here," Hayate handed her a piece of paper.

_Hayate, inform Yukiko and Atsuko that I'm returning tonight and they are to wait for me up in the Council room. No one else and they are not to leave that room. _

_Madara_

She read through it a few times trying almost to read between the lines but got nothing.

"Did you two get anything from the Council members?" Minoru asked, trying to break the tension.

"Yes…Aoi-kun, give him the list and go through it. Atsuko, come with me," the two women quickly left, heading to the Council room. They sat in their designated seats next to each other.

"Do you know what this is about, Yukiko-sama?" Atsuko nervously asked, reading through the letter herself now.

"No…No I'm sorry, Atsuko, I really don't,"

That feeling…That horrible pit in her stomach was back. Atsuko noticed Yukiko's hands were shaking slightly.

"Yukiko-sama…?"

"We'll just wait, Atsuko."

* * *

><p>Madara stood at the door of the infirmary. He should have headed up to the Council room immediately, he knew it. But he…He was honestly scared and for once he wasn't sure what he could say.<p>

He shook his head and made his way up there, albeit at a very slow pace. His steps were actually getting slower and slower. He wasn't scared anymore though. He was…numb. No anger, no upset, nothing. He slid the door open.

Yukiko lifted her head off of the desk to look at him. She looked tired, bags under her eyes as though she'd been working hard as usual.

"Madara-sama, are you okay?" she couldn't help but notice he looked…drained. That pit becoming much worse now, her lip trembling. She could honestly feel it. Something awful…

He took in a deep breath, swallowing hard and looking at Atsuko. Was he supposed to apologise? No…Wait…Was he?

Apparently he didn't actually need to say anything.

"Please…Madara-sama…" Atsuko pleaded quietly at first.

"Izuna-kun…" Yukiko muttered, bowing her head. She slowly got up, ignoring Atsuko's shrieks of disbelief and headed for Madara. "I'm so sorry. It was the Senju, wasn't it?"

"They…There's no way to tell there were numerous clans there…Are you just going to leave Atsuko like that?" he asked her quietly. She shook her head.

"I'm waiting for something. You go talk to her; I'll be in your room,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat in Madara's room, her head in her hands. She was still waiting. In truth, she was absolutely devastated. Not just because of what Izuna had meant to her but it was a huge loss to the entire Uchiha clan.<p>

None of them were happy. They had won the battle apparently but it was too high a cost. Her whole body was shaking as she tried to hold back her bitter tears.

He should never have left. No one would say it but they were all thinking it. And she was willing to bet that no one else was thinking it as much as Madara was.

6 days? He must have died after the 6th day of battle…Had the Senju retreated out of respect or fear of what Madara was capable of?

Yukiko was still waiting…

The door slowly slid open, her eyes, brimming with tears, watched Madara slowly walk into the room.

She didn't even dare to say a word.

His fists were curled tight enough that the veins on his arms were raised, tiny drops of blood welling up and dripping down from his hands.

She shut her eyes slowly, a tear falling as she did so.

Here it was…

His fist slammed against the wall hard. The wall itself seemed to shake with the impact.

"Fuck…" he whimpered. The wall took yet another blow. Yukiko opened her eyes slightly but didn't even try to offer him any comfort. What could she do? What could she say? He rested his forehead on the wall. "I gained this power, Yukiko, all this power…" his voice was a quiet whisper. "And still lost everything all over again. My brother…"

Somehow, listening to him was far more upsetting than the actual loss of Izuna. It always was, seeing those left behind…It was more difficult.

"What do I do now?" he asked her, still with his head against the wall. "I lost it and killed a whole bunch of enemy shinobi around me…But nothing. It was just…I'm not angry anymore,"

"You still have me and the rest of your clan," she offered weakly through her own tears. "You have a duty to protect them,"

"Like I protected Izuna? I told him…I told him to be careful so many times. The fifth night we sat together and he promised me he'd be careful. He shouldn't have rushed out…No I shouldn't have rushed him into battle,"

"You had faith in him," Yukiko got up, standing next to him. It was only at this angle that she realised he was crying. He shook his head.

"I just wanted to beat them no matter what,"

"Don't lose faith in yourself, Madara-sama," she placed her hand on his back. "Please?"

"You're right…Let's just pretend I didn't just kill my brother!" he yelled suddenly, getting away from her as if she was about to kill him. "What the hell do you know, Yukiko! You didn't want to protect anyone!"

"Don't you dare take this out on me! I'm here trying to help you, not for you to aim your own anger at! We're all upset, Madara-sama!"

"BUT HE WASN'T YOUR BROTHER! YOU DIDN'T RAISE HIM; YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO TEACH HIM ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING FROM HIS DAMN FIRST STEPS TO HOW TO TALK! I DID! IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY!" he screamed at her before his anger turned to a look of horror. "Oh god…" he fell to the floor. "Oh god…Izuna…" he trembled with every ragged breath and bitter tear that fell. "I'll kill them…"

Yukiko knelt beside him, wrapping her arms around him.

"I'll kill every last one of them for what they've done." He promised angrily.

"I know you will."

* * *

><p><strong>God dammit...<em>What? <em>Nothing. Kay's upset. _I'm upset. 20 more chapters of this..._You're so insensitive, Kagi-kun. _Nooo. That was a saddening chapter but we all knew it had to come at some point. Izuna died in battle shortly after losing his eyes. _Yes...But still. Madara was positively human. _Yeaaa, Kay was going to have him be a lot colder but considering, as Madara said, he raised Izuna it didn't seem right and this seemed like a more genuine reaction to her. _**

**Which leads us nicely to our question. Did you think Madara's reaction was a genuine one?**

_**Next chapter is quite simply: I Will Kill You All!**_


	41. I Will Kill You All!

Am I upsetting you all? This is the sad part of the story I swear. Also. This is the second half of this arc sort of. It starts here but "This War Will Tear Us Apart..." sort of overlaps with Assassinate Yukiko! for another chapter. Believe it or not but the story is actually starting to wind down from here on. X3 Just 19 more chapters. Feels so weird.

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: I doesn't own Naruto, I swears! :)

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><p><strong>Chapter Forty-One<strong>

**I Will Kill You All!**

The weather turned unusually sunny a few days later. Madara was dedicated to training alone now, heading off into the woods every day to do so. No one blamed him; he'd lost the only training partner he'd ever really enjoyed training with.

And he wasn't even happy after training for hours; Yukiko suspected he was overdoing it to ignore the fact he had to sort out Izuna's funeral, an occasion she was also helping with however he didn't know that. All he knew was that sometimes paperwork was just filled in properly.

The men were also in mourning. They'd lost a captain and a good friend in Izuna and all of them were exhausted. A 6 day battle had broken a lot of their spirits made worse by the fact they knew they'd have to go out and do it again.

Atsuko refused to come out of her room no matter what Hayate and Yukiko said. Hayate concluded she'd lost enough people in her life and that losing Izuna was just too much to handle after they'd become so close.

So it was up to the remains of the Uchiha Council…Yukiko, Aoi and the recently released Genshi to keep up with everything.

Genshi trained the men, Aoi dealt with paperwork and Yukiko dealt with Izuna.

On the fourth day she went to sort out his 'room' as had become her routine. It was actually a room for all the men who'd fallen in that battle whose bodies had made it back to the Stronghold but for now she was only really focussing on Izuna.

His casket was left open and after the death of both her mother and father, Yukiko had found an eerie comfort in talking to dead bodies.

She found on the table next to his casket was a fresh lily, there had been one every morning.

"Madara-sama's been here to see you. He's been training hard to kill every single Senju. No doubt he won't stop now…You controlled him in that way really, didn't you?" she sighed, lighting an incense stick. "We're all worried about him. Not that he'd see that…"

* * *

><p>Tobirama was in trouble, he knew it from the distraught look on his brother's face and not to mention the white hot pain in this chest. He'd been taken off-guard, that was all but Izuna Uchiha...He should have none Izuna wasn't the type to lie down and die.<p>

* * *

><p><em>Izuna could hear them all around. There must have been...twenty shinobi now. He was becoming overwhelmed, having broken off from his squad to confront Tobirama again like usual. He was blind but he was determined. <em>

_"Uchiha, you better not be looking for an escape," Tobirama teased. "Sorry...I meant listening for," _

_"Is that wishful thinking so that you don't have to fight me?" Izuna swiftly retorted. Now the white-haired shinobi was annoyed. _

_"You...son of a..." he launched forward to attack, Izuna leaping to the side to avoid it feeling the rush of wind as he did so. The shinobi around him were scattering...Too many footsteps, he couldn't keep track of all of them. Four...Five..."You're distracted!" Izuna brought up his tanto to deflect several kunai. One came from behind, embedding into his right shoulder blade. He couldn't help but hiss in pain. He brought his free hand up to pull it out but found it was too deep for him not to worsen the wound by doing so. _

_"Water Style: Gunshot!"_

_"Fire Style: Great Fireball jutsu!" The Uchiha managed to quickly counter. His flames were strong enough to evaporate the water however he had to take into account that it was a low level jutsu._

_Another barrage of kunai came fast, so that was the tactic they were going for...All the other shinobi were exposing his weakness. This time one kunai got lodged in his leg. _

_He couldn't escape now even if he wanted to...The kunai was deep enough it'd hit his artery. No matter what he'd..._

_Too preoccupied in his own thoughts...Much too preoccupied. The katana was through his gut in a matter of seconds it was from behind and while it wasn't Tobirama's, the Senju was still to blame in his mind for that iron taste of blood flooding his mouth. _

_"Bastard..." he rasped to Tobirama. "You...Bastard," Izuna put his final strength all together, rushing forward and striking Tobirama with his tanto hard enough that it pierced through his blue armour. Izuna collapsed moments later, the bandages that hid his non-existent eyes from the world unravelled as he fell, a flutter of white, tugged by the wind. "Forgive me...Nii-san. I tried..."_

* * *

><p>"Tobirama!" Hashirama yelled, breaking his younger brother's trail of thought. "This is serious. You could have been killed. Izuna-kun was..." the elder trailed off.<p>

"He's the enemy! What's it matter?" the young Senju cried out. "Of course he was going to die! He's not immortal!"

"It matters because if we don't do something now, we'll all be dragged into a fiery revenge mission. Madara-kun will...Mito!" Hashirama barked. His wife appearing at the door. "I need you to write me a letter."

* * *

><p>"Dammit…" Madara cursed repeatedly as he strode down the corridors, realising he'd left his ninja tool bag underneath the table. He stopped outside of the room though, hearing that Yukiko was in there.<p>

At first he told himself that he didn't want to interrupt her because it'd be rude while she was also mourning for Izuna. But even he didn't believe that. He sighed, admitting to himself he was eavesdropping. But wasn't a shinobi supposed to be weary of those around him?

"Madara-sama hasn't tried to comfort Atsuko since that day in the Council room. I guess he's just been busy though, that's what I'd like to think. Then again I'd also like to think that this war isn't pointless but it is, to me at least. One day he'll realise his men have had enough, so have the Senju. But to be honest I think Hashirama-san enjoys this battle between him and Madara-sama as well," Yukiko fiddled with the collar of Izuna's kimono. "You know, I feel like Hashirama-san enables this behaviour from Madara-sama. They're one and the same…"

Madara cleared his throat the door. Yukiko, despite having just been talking to a corpse, looked as though she'd seen a ghost. She'd been awkward around Madara all this time and although he'd never tell her, it did hurt him a little.

"I noticed you forgot your bag," she knelt down, to pick it up. "I would have brought it out to you but I don't know where you train,"

A lie. She could easily track him down in a heartbeat. "Well…We can't hold it off any longer, Madara-sama, the wake is this afternoon," she nervously explained, glancing down at Izuna for a moment. "Will you be there?"

"Maybe…" he quickly turned and left the room, leaving Yukiko exasperated.

"What a cheerful wake this will be. A real celebration of your life...Without your brother. Don't worry, Izuna-kun, I'll be here tonight for you,"

* * *

><p>Madara got back to his room at midnight, yes he'd missed the wake but he was busy. Not avoiding, busy. How many times would he say this before he just stopped lying to himself? He'd lost the only thing in his life that had made him feel truly alive. He found himself filling his day with things to do and yet at the same time he felt like a corpse shifting from one day to the next.<p>

He barely even noticed that Yukiko wasn't in the room until he sat down and didn't hear some sort of greeting. She'd been avoiding him, yes, but she hadn't just left. He glanced at the bathroom, the door was wide open and she wasn't in there. Part of him just wanted to go to sleep but he found himself getting up and wandering down to find her.

She was sat, cross-legged on the floor next to Izuna's casket, Kiyoshi on her lap as she just stared off silently in the distance.

"What're you doing?" Madara impatiently asked her from the door, unwilling to actually enter the room.

"It's a tradition in my country, after the wake we stand guard until the funeral. I did it for my father, then my mother and now I'm doing it for Izuna-kun," she quietly explained, patting the floor next to her. He rolled his eyes and sat down. "You weren't there,"

"I didn't need to be there. I've been busy," he flatly replied.

"You'll be there tomorrow though, won't you? If not for your men or Izuna-kun then just..."

"For you?" she shook her head at this.

"For Atsuko. She turned up at the wake today but she's refused to talk still. You've known her since you were children, is there nothing you can do to comfort her? It was so...quiet and awkward today. I can't help but think that Izuna-kun wouldn't have been happy at all. Plus he'd call you a coward," Yukiko yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Yes well he's not here to call me one, is he? I'd hit him if he ever did. If you're insisting on sitting here all night, I'm leaving," Madara scoffed getting up, Yukiko made no attempt to do the same.

"Goodnight, Madara-sama," she whispered as he left the room. "Just me and you again, Izuna-kun," she turned Kiyoshi into a cat, he curled up on her lap, purring. "It's strange how someone so accustom to war can be thrown off track so easily by death,"

* * *

><p>Madara couldn't sleep. Every time he thought he was just getting to sleep he found himself thinking of <em>something <em>and then he was wide-awake again. Memories...Damn sentimental memories...

_"Nii-san! Check it!" a seven year old Izuna cried out merrily, standing proudly at the top of the tallest tree in the woods. Madara laughed and folded his arms. _

_"Now try and get down." Madara challenged him, knowing full well his brother wouldn't be able to. _

_"Erm..." he hesitated, stumbling down the first few branches before slipping. Madara launched into action, leaping forward to catch Izuna before he hit the ground. "Nii-san!" his younger brother's arms wrapped around his neck to tightly it was almost suffocating. "I'm sorry. Give me some time, I'll be just as good as you are." _

_"Don't grow up too fast, Izu. That's my job," Madara joked, ruffling Izuna's hair. _

"It's that damn woman!" he snarled as he got up and threw on a shirt, heading down to the casket room. He slammed the door open but stopped before he went any further.

Yukiko was curled up on the floor, fast asleep with Kiyoshi sitting on his brother's casket. Kiyoshi watched him slowly approach Yukiko before hissing once he got too close.

"Tch, shut up," he growled, smacking the cat who bit down on his hand. "You fucking..."

"Hey!" Yukiko grabbed his wrist before he hit Kiyoshi again. "Madara-sama?" she blinked a few times, still half-asleep. "What're you doing here?"

"I was trying to find you when your sword..."

"He's upset, leave him alone," to his surprise she was talking to Kiyoshi. The cat hesitated for a moment before jumping off the casket and hiding behind her leg and watching Madara cautiously. "I'm sorry, Madara-sama, I must have fallen asleep for a moment. What did you want to see me for?"

"This tradition is ridiculous, go up to my room," Madara ordered. She shook her head.

"I'm sorry...But..."

"I wasn't asking, Yukiko, go. Now!" She knew that tone well, fleeing the room with the cat close on her heels.

Madara waited a couple of minutes before opening Izuna's casket slowly. Even when he'd come to sort out the table beside the casket he hadn't looked at his brother's body since he'd brought him home. And now Madara felt a surreal feeling of acceptance and helplessness.

* * *

><p><em>"Izuna!" Madara ran through battling shinobi. "Izuna!" he yelled again, stopping dead in his tracks when he found Izuna lying on the floor, blood as red as fire spreading across grass. "Izu..." several shinobi battling nearby grabbed his attention. Who'd killed his brother? His mind went blank. No. Izuna wasn't dead. He'd never allow it, clutching his katana tight enough it ached he cut down several nearby ninja. And then more...And then before he knew it, there were none. <em>

_Madara dropped to one knee and turned his brother over. Madara was shaking. Not with anger like usual, but with fear. A crippling fear. He didn't notice everyone was retreating, his entire focus on his dead brother. "You said you'd be careful..." he whispered hoarsely. "I hate it when you lie to me," he felt...disconnected from what was going on. Disconnected from what was in front of him. He shut his eyes. A real shinobi doesn't cry or show any sort of emotion and yet here he was feeling..._

_Feeling as pathetic and helpless as the night his parents had died. Feeling so alone for the first time in years...he felt overwhelmingly alone. _

* * *

><p>"I'll see you tomorrow, little brother, at least now you can meet our parents," Madara pulled himself from the room after a while, heading up to his room again. Yukiko was lying in bed but still awake. Her red eyes followed him around the room.<p>

"Madara-sama, about the funeral tomorrow..." she began quietly.

"I'll be there," she surprised him again, sitting up and smiling at him.

"Good, Izuna-kun will be so happy now," she couldn't stifle her yawn though, the last few days had exhausted herself, gently lying back down. "I've not said it yet...But I'm very sorry this happened,"

"Hn." she turned around, finding that Madara was nearly already asleep.

"Big day tomorrow and then perhaps we can begin to pick up the pieces of the army," she muttered before falling victim to sleep herself. She couldn't help but thank that whoever was trying to kill her had the decency to allow them all to mourn in peace though. But that was a topic for another time, she'd decided.

* * *

><p>The funeral was a solemn affair but made slightly more comforting for the men by the arrival of their leader, Yukiko muttered to him as he stood beside her.<p>

"He'll feel happier now." Madara didn't give her any reply.

The Uchiha, she learnt, were cremated in order to get rid of any chance that their enemies could steal the Sharingan. Hayate had told her that often if they had no time then men were actually cremated on the battlefield. The whole affair went down in a military fashion actually and no one hung around afterwards. Izuna's ashes were spread with the rest on a plot of land where, in the centre, was the emblem of the Uchiha. She couldn't help but think that he was returning to the parents he'd never known. And she hoped they'd have a long time together before Madara joined them.

"I'm going to train," he told her as he swiftly left.

"Already? Be careful, Madara-sama," anyone could see he was exhausting himself. But she didn't make any attempt to stop him, if he was going to train as hard as he could to avoid his own reality then what else could she do?

Run the Stronghold in his absence like usual. Yukiko took that upon herself with such fervour that anyone else could suspect she was avoiding the situation herself. Maybe she was but paperwork wasn't going to do itself and not to mention her attention could now be pulled back to her assassins.

She had wanted to talk to Atsuko after the funeral but despite coming to the wake, the maid hadn't shown up for the actual funeral.

_Give her time..._Yukiko thought to herself.

She headed straight up to her office, sorting through the files she'd asked Takehiko to get for her. She sat down, opening the one particular file slowly.

The door opened, much to her surprise Minoru came striding in.

"Something wrong, Minoru?" she asked casually covering the files.

"I thought I'd come see you now you've had time to look over my records," he informed her, a slight hint of anger in his tone.

"I realise you're working with my aunt, I realised that a long time ago, actually. It's why you're allowed out of your cell now. Actually I wanted to look at this one first," she held one out to him almost as a sign of apology. He quickly took it and scanned its contents.

"Something doesn't add up with him, does it?" Minoru asked as he placed the file down. "I agree. But...Me or you?"

"I think it's my duty now as a Council Member to deal with this quickly and efficiently,"

"Careful, you only just buried Izuna-kun. Don't push yourself into too much," he warned her however she was already heading to the door.

"My inability to defend myself in situations like these is why Madara-sama doesn't trust me on the front lines. Had I been there, Izuna-kun wouldn't have needed burying. Anything else you want to say, Minoru?" Yukiko seemed like she was snapping but her tone of voice said otherwise. She was calm...icy.

"You couldn't possibly blame yourself, my cousin," she looked back at him in surprise when he said this before her expression softened into something like a look of affection. The Kiyomizu and Ginhana would often call themselves 'cousin' as a way of formality but for Minoru and Yukiko to do the same seemed madness mainly due to their conflicting personalities.

"I've not just lost a friend to this...I feel like I'm losing the man I love,"

* * *

><p>Madara fell on one knee, glaring up with his new Mangekyou Sharingan. His light really wasn't fading. Izuna's eyes had found an eternal host. His power had mixed with that of his younger brother's and now he had what he needed. The Senju would crumble. He was done. He wouldn't accept any less than complete annihilation of those...dogs.<p>

He got up, panting slightly. He needed to adjust, push himself further perhaps.

"Madara-sama..." that polite yet forceful voice spoke from him. "It's past midnight, you need to rest,"

"Do we have any requests yet?" he asked her impatiently, he turned around. Yukiko was leaning against a tree with her arms folded. How long had she been there?

"A few but I took it upon myself to reject them until further notice," As she'd expected this angered him.

"Why?"

"Because you can't fight a battle without an army," she informed him, eyes narrowed slightly.

"I've got a damn army!"

"Your men are _tired, _Madara-sama, let them rest a while. Let them grieve," Yukiko tried to advise him but was getting nowhere.

"They should have thought about that before they pushed themselves further than their pathetic bodies can take them,"

She didn't actually respond to this, instead she gave him a look of 'Says You Of All People'. His fists clenched just as much as his jaw did. He stormed past her, heading back to the Stronghold and back to his room.

Yukiko sighed, pulling out an envelope with the Senju emblem on.

"Too soon..." she muttered, placing it back into her bag, before following him.

* * *

><p>By the time Yukiko got back to Madara's room it was trashed. She was used to his rages though, reminding herself that anger was the second step in grieving. She'd been there before although it was much more frightening than any anger she'd ever displayed. Madara could easily destroy the entire Stronghold if he wanted to. Even so, Yukiko didn't comment at all. Instead just getting ready for bed like normal. Madara was washing up in the bathroom, presumably when he'd punched a hole in the desk he'd got some splinters in his hand.<p>

He appeared at the door a few minutes later. Again, she ignored him and didn't even make a passing comment.

"Got something to say?" he snapped, she glanced over her shoulder at him.

"I don't, Madara-sama," Madara's glare actually felt as though it was burning her.

"Well say something, dammit!" she took a moment to reply, choosing her words carefully.

"I need permission to arrest Aoi-kun and search his room," this seemed to surprise Madara. He looked puzzled for a moment, pausing before lying down in bed.

"Why?"

"I have a feeling," he rolled his eyes as she said this. "An actual feeling that something just doesn't add up with him,"

"Fine. Do whatever you want," he sighed, slightly annoyed she was lying with her back to him. Actually, everything was annoying him. He could be training! Why was he wasting time?

"Thank you, Madara-sama,"

Was this how it was going to be now? It felt like being back at square one with Yukiko's cold attitude.

"Madara-sama..." she began as she rolled over to face him. "You know a couple of weeks ago you said we'd be okay? I know you were drunk at the time,"

"Not completely drunk," he interrupted her. She shook the comment off.

"Are we going to be okay now?"

Madara took a few minutes to think of an answer and just when he thought he'd found one and was about to answer her she kissed him. Just quickly and gently before looking at him with such...sadness for a change. She allowed him to see how upset she was.

"Don't die and we'll be fine. And don't get in the way of my revenge because I will cut you without hesitation," this didn't seem to shock her in any way. Her reply shocked him though.

"I won't, Madara-sama. There's nothing you could possibly do to ease the pain you're feeling right now but if you feel that this revenge mission you're on will help then fine but don't drag other people into it. Your army really are exhausted and so are you,"

Madara wanted to say something nice for a change. But like usual when he wanted do say something nice, he was stuck thinking what and how much of a coward he'd sound saying it. He chose silence instead, content that she was in his arms. His alone, for now at least. He could only hope his haunting memories of Izuna would fizzle away eventually because even at that moment he thought to himself that he was seeing her through his brother's eyes...

Those eyes that had led his brother to his early grave.

No...it wasn't his eyes. It was _him. _Madara was the one who'd led his brother there and no one else. Or was it the Senju? Someone was to blame. But who? He couldn't even tell anymore.

_"I'll be careful! I promise, Nii-san. You worry too much. I may be blind but I'm still me! So get some sleep and then tomorrow we'll come home victorious like usual..._"

Were those really his brother's last words to him? Either way, they were echoing in his head and had been for a while now.

Madara slowly fell asleep and as he had done everyday since Izuna's death, he hoped that something would happen and that Izuna would be alive and waking him up the next morning.

* * *

><p><strong>I feel sorry for Madara but still...Yukiko could leave and come here. <em>No. She couldn't so shush, Kai. <em>Maybe me and her can do segments at the end of YOUR story. OH me and Minoru could. _What? No! I...I won't allow it. _Oh I'll be doing that segment. You realise that, don't you? _Please don't. _I've already read the first chapter you sly..._NO! QUESTION!_**

**_Do you feel sorry for Madara? _**

**_Next chapter title: I've parted three ways for you. (Oh it's a Yukiko based chapter.) _**


	42. I've Parted Three Ways

A long time ago I split two chapters in half. I also uploaded one of the shortest chapters I'd ever written. I'm doing that again. This is what I lovingly call a 'transition chapter'. Not sure if that's the proper term for it but that's what I call it. Basically this is the end of Assassinate Yukiko! And at the same time part way through it's the beginning of This War Will Tear Us Apart...I've re-written this chapter about 4 times and this is the best I came up with. Still not completely satisfied but I think this is the limit of my ability when it comes to writing this sort of chapter.

Chapter title: The Crowing by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: "A favour, Captain, a word with you. You don't own Naruto but you do own your characters" Thank you random person referencing a song no one will know. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Two<strong>

**I've Parted Three Ways For You…**

Three weeks…It had been three weeks since Izuna's funeral and technically four weeks since his death.

Yukiko sat, cross-legged on her bed, papers spread all around her. She was ignoring everyone that day. Atsuko was gone anyway. She had disappeared and while Yukiko had full faith she'd see the maid again she was placing that in the back of her mind.

She had a new assistant anyway.

"Yukiko!" Minoru came running in with a scroll in his hand. "Sharingan…Yukiko!"

She stared blankly at him for a moment.

"What about it?" he was clearly excited about something but for her own amusement she was willing to play dumb and frustrate him. He waved the scroll around for a moment.

"Sharingan! I know how someone with no poison expertise poisoned you!"

Yukiko rolled her eyes. They had given this up with the arrest of Aoi, which had gotten them nowhere however the names he'd given them from his grandmother had pretty much rounded up all the suspects. Yet Minoru had been racking his brain around how someone could learn complex poisons in a short amount of time. Apparently, he had his answer.

"Say they watched someone _else _prepare it…With the Sharingan!" his dramatic pause didn't impress her but his general hyper attitude to this discovery made her laugh. "They could copy it perfectly,"

"Yes, they could. Well, mystery solved, then," she said flatly before reading a piece of paper near her.

"Madara-sama wants to see you. Also, you were joking when you said I wasn't going home weren't you?" Minoru added, trying to grab Yukiko's arm but she quickly moved out of his reach and got near the door before he could.

"Can you go through my bag and try and find a treat I've been keeping for Kibou?" she asked before making her way briskly down to Madara's office.

He was doing paperwork, a huge surprise to everyone including the confused men coming out of his office. He was taking a break, having badly injured himself in training a couple of days before.

Yukiko noted how exhausted he looked as she came in; he barely even registered her presence.

"Madara-sama, you wanted to see me?" she kept her tone quite quiet though, he glanced up from the papers he was reading.

"Aoi was released today. He doesn't hold a grudge against you apparently. I'm going to do a training exercise in a few days; it's been too long,"

It had been a long time, the longest time she'd spent around Madara as far as she could remember.

There was a quick knock at the door and a serious looking Minoru came in.

"Pardon the intrusion but, Yukiko, we need to talk," she exchanged puzzled looks with Madara who then gestured her to leave. As soon as the pair were outside the door to the office he turned and shoved a letter in her hand. "Have you seen this?" he hissed.

"Oh I forgot about it, I was going to give it to Madara-sama a while ago but decided against it. I just assumed it was some sort of challenge of sorts or a message of condolences," Yukiko explained quietly, wondering why they were whispering and why Minoru seemed so…angry. "Did you open it?"

"No…Well…Yes, I was curious when I saw the emblem and now I wish I hadn't," she decided to read through it quickly.

"Oh my god…Oh my…" was all she could really say, reading it through several more times. "Why did you open this? It was specifically for Madara-sama!" her amazement turned to rage quickly.

"Keep it down," Minoru warned her as the door to the office opened.

"What's going on?" Madara's voice had that…dangerous tone to it. Yukiko shoved the letter in her pocket and turned around.

"Minoru and I were talking about a message he got from one of his clansmen. He wanted some advice from me," Yukiko lied quicker and easier than she thought it should have been however Madara's eyes narrowed as he slowly looked for her tells with his Sharingan.

"You need to stop lying to me," he growled, taking a step towards her. "It is _really _starting to get on my nerves,"

"I'm off," Minoru said before running down the corridor.

"Minoru!" she called after him but found herself being dragged into Madara's office instead despite her vocal protests.

Her back was slammed against the door, knocking her breath out of her for a moment.

"I'm not playing your games today, Yukiko, what're you lying to me for?" Madara's voice was quiet but laced with a thousand threats that made her shiver just a bit.

"I can't tell you when you're like this, Madara-sama,"

He took in a deep breath. She was testing him. _Really _testing him.

"Yukiko…" he began, she looked him in the eye and felt nothing but worry and she was, quite frankly, confused. Shakily she brought out the letter and handed it to him.

"I didn't open it, Minoru did. I'm sorry," she muttered, had he not been nearly pressed up against her he wouldn't have heard her.

He read the letter, a look of anger and confusion slowly spread across his face as he did so.

"What the fuck is this?" he asked her, reading it again. "This is some sort of sick joke,"

"I'm afraid it isn't, Madara-sama," she told him sadly. He looked at her now as though she was the one to blame for it. "It came the morning of Izuna-kun's funeral. I didn't think you'd want to see anything from the Senju so soon,"

He couldn't argue with that point but it did nothing to lessen his anger at all.

"Go call a meeting. You're heading the Council meetings now. You, Aoi and Genshi need to discuss this," he shoved the letter back to her.

"Madara-sama, can I…"

"Go!" he snapped as he grabbed a tool bag.

Yukiko quickly left and headed up to the Council Room, sending Hayate to go and get Aoi and Genshi.

* * *

><p>Madara walked out of the office down to the training field. He sat on a rock and watched some of his men train. It had been so long since he'd trained with his men.<p>

He didn't have to heart to do so though. He sighed. The Senju…They ruined everything and now they were trying to take away his resolve.

"Madara-sama," it was a small, young voice. He turned to see a boy, about 9. The boy, he vaguely recognised as the youngest brother of the old Council member, Hayabusa.

"What do you want?" Madara asked him, trying to sound less…vicious than usual.

"I wanted to ask if…Maybe when I'm older. You could train me. Mother's been sick lately and I need to be strong," the boy explained meekly.

"Tch, is that what you think being strong is?" the leader sighed. "There's more to it than that. Much more. My brother always told me that and I thought I knew what he meant but now…" he trailed off, staring up at Hoshi flying high in the sky.

"My brother is strong! He never cries and he always smiles," the boy laughed. "Are you sad, Madara-sama?"

"I…I'm fine. I'm still here protecting the Uchiha, aren't I?" Madara patted the boy's shoulder. "That's all that matters,"

"So even though Izuna-sama is gone you'll still be our leader?"

"There's not a single shinobi in this world that can get in the way of my oath to protect us all,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sighed as the two remaining Council members came in. She placed the letter in the centre of the table. Aoi and Genshi read over it, looking at Yukiko in disbelief.<p>

"This is…a request for a peace treaty," Genshi was the first to speak. "Madara-sama will never accept this,"

"Perhaps he will, there's nothing the men want more right now than peace," Aoi countered quickly. "How did he react?"

"Angrily, however he seems to be reasonably able to control himself right now. He's being careful since last week, he nearly knocked me out of a window during one of his rages," Yukiko explained, fiddling with her bracelet.

"Yes, I heard about that. There's not much we can do about this truce, not without Madara-sama here anyway," Genshi concluded. No one said anything for a few minutes.

They all knew it. This was huge. It could possibly make or break the Uchiha. One wrong move could spark an entirely new war, not just against the Senju but this Shinobi alliance they were building up.

"What bad timing. Or was this prompted by Izuna-sama's death maybe?" Aoi asked with a sigh, he seemed genuinely emotional about this subject which surprised both Yukiko and Genshi.

"I think perhaps this was caused by Izuna-kun's death. The Senju brothers are just as close as Madara-sama was with Izuna-kun. They actually probably…feel…sorry for him, which Madara-sama probably realises and feels frustrated," Yukiko answered, feeling saddened by her sudden realisation. They weren't getting anywhere without confronting their leader. She stood up and moved down to the door. "I need to talk to him and end this,"

* * *

><p>Later that night, Madara was still sat on the rock. It was getting close to midnight and a full moon was shining down on him. Yukiko appeared behind him, looking both stressed and tired.<p>

"What has the Council decided? Tell me so that I can do the opposite as usual," Madara said to her in an almost boastful tone.

"Nothing. I want to ask you something…However not as a Council member but as the woman who really, Madara-sama, truly loves you," he turned to face her as she said this, curious as to what she was about to tell him. "I've asked around and your men all want this truce, the Council do as well. Yet we can't make any sort of decision without you. We _need _you to give us the okay not just because you're the leader of the Uchiha but because you're the most respected person _in _this clan. Perhaps one of the most respected in this world…"

"Go on,"

"Instead of listening to your anger, tell me what you're going to do?" Yukiko asked him flatly. She took a step closer to him. "What should you do? Tell me what the right thing to do is? Should I come at you with anger and force you to accept this truce? Is that really going to help?"

"My duty as leader of the Uchiha is to protect them. My duty as a brother is to defend his honour against all those who would seek to tarnish it. My duty as a man is to protect you. The Senju, Yukiko, would jeopardise all of those duties that I have. They would destroy the Uchiha, and to accept this truce would destroy my brother's memory and this is the clan who attempted, on several occasions, to take you from me. Yukiko, when you asked me these things did you ever think of that?" he explained, having been thinking about this for hours. Yukiko seemed both slightly moved and at the same time slightly annoyed.

"I have my duties as well, Madara-sama. They are, also, to defend the Uchiha, your brother and your honour. But those can not be. This war is…" now she was angry. "Utterly pathetic to think people can be killed based on a story for children!" She wanted to shriek at him that to any sane person this would be an easy choice.

But he wasn't sane. Madara was still deeply scarred from his childhood and now he was even worse off without his brother.

"That's what you think? You seem to think that I enjoy watching my men die! That I enjoyed seeing my brother lying dead on the field of battle! Yukiko, open your damn eyes and realise that this _peace _they offer is yet another plot to destroy us!" he yelled bitterly, almost desperate for her to see it his way…Almost.

"But if you don't accept this truce then more people will die! More women will be forced to bury their brothers, their fathers and their own damn sons! And that's not fair! Why must they suffer for your anger? It's you who will be the one to blame if you don't accept this and you alone. That's your duty as a leader. You accept the blame for _every _decision you make! You've made this one so lightly. And the lives of your men and the deaths of their comrades will be because of you!" Madara grabbed her suddenly, cutting off what she was saying.

"Tell me, honestly Yukiko, do you believe what you're saying? I'll break my stupid promise and remind you that these people murdered your father in cold blood!"

She was shocked he'd brought it up. Shocked and now even angrier. She threw something at him that she'd never ever wanted to. "For this petty feud…My whole clan was murdered. I'm sorry that I can't hate like you do," she wasn't even yelling anymore. Her voice like splintered ice. "Madara-sama this isn't about my father, my clan or even me…Actually it's not even about you," she moved out of his grip now and took a step away from him. "It's about this," she pointed at the Stronghold. "And it's about them. So _please _Madara-sama, I am begging you…Don't throw this opportunity for peace away. If it really is a trap like you suspect then not only will I bear full responsibility and punishment but you can bring the full might of the Uchiha down upon whomever you wish and I will _not _stand in your way and I will have no pity. But please…Just think," Yukiko quickly left before she started to cry and Madara was glad she did.

He sat back down and sighed, his head in his hands. He wanted to be angry and disagree with her. But everything she'd said made sense. And the trouble was everything he'd said made sense as well.

* * *

><p>He'd been lying in wait for what seemed like eternity. He watched as Yukiko walked away from Madara…Now was his perfect chance, with his Sharingan he wouldn't miss and then his mission was complete. Yukiko would be dead.<p>

But he couldn't.

He had heard everything she'd said and he couldn't do anything to kill her now.

What Genshi had witnessed was a woman from another clan with their leader, yes, but she was fighting for the good of the Uchiha. How could he possibly fault her now? The mission was over, on a whim no less. He didn't really care either. The only people who could punish him were those locked away in prison cells and he doubted they'd really be able to do much.

No…Now Genshi was glad he could be in the Council and get some changes going and he'd apologise to Yukiko later. He would specify what he was saying sorry for…But he'd still do it. He was, after all, still an Uchiha with honour.

* * *

><p>Yukiko slept alone that night. Well, sort of alone. After a few hours of waiting to see if Madara was coming back she put Kibou in bed with her just for the company.<p>

And yet she woke up to the sound of a running tap.

"Madara-sama?" she groaned, sitting up. He was watching her from the bathroom door. She wiped the sleep from her eye, her vision clearing up as she did so. He'd been training again; he was drenched in sweat and looked exhausted. "Is something wrong?"

"No. You need to pack your bags," he ordered.

"What? Why?" she seemed very alert suddenly.

"Because we're leaving the Stronghold and if you ask me why I might batter you," Madara snapped before disappearing into the bathroom.

Not knowing where, or for how long, they were going she packed light as though she were leaving on a mission before sitting next to Kibou and talking to him.

She noted that Madara had already packed, a bag by the door presumably meaning as soon as he was out of the bath they were leaving. Yukiko grabbed Kiyoshi as he strolled out of the bathroom, grabbed his bag and walked out of the door without even bothering to wait for her.

"So…where are we going?" she asked when they were out of the gates.

"That way," he pointed east, making a sharp turn and running off ahead of her.

"That's not really an answer but okay," she muttered, reminding herself that while he didn't seem completely better this was probably the best she'd seen Madara since Izuna's death. Perhaps a change of scenery was what was needed.

They swiftly reached the cabin where Madara gestured her to go in.

"What're you up to?" she asked, eying him with suspicion.

"Talking. We need to talk before we go any further," he informed her. She sat down on the futon, reminding herself that this was where _it _had happened. Last time she was here…Izuna was as well.

"What do we need to talk about?" he sat on a chair, watching her carefully.

"Everything, before we do this we need to talk about everything,"

* * *

><p><strong>Before they do what? <em>You'll have to wait a few days for the next update. <em>Noooo! I need to know! _This chapter wasn't so bad, ya know. Those monologues from Yukiko and Madara kinda just sums up their personalities completely when it comes to leadership. _Isn't that the point? _Well I thought it was interesting!_**

**Question! What do they need to talk about? :)**

**Next chapter: But You Know You Were My Favourite...**


	43. You Know You Were My Favourite

I'm obsessed with Avantasia atm. It's not even funny. -.- Oh! It's my birthday soon! :) I'm excited about that. Yaaaay. Oh, on with the chapter? Okay...If you say so. This arc ends the next chapter. :)

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I does not own Naruto. But I do own...THIS HAT. :) You should watch Feed Dump on The Escapist. It says I do own my characters and plot though!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Three<strong>

**You Know You Were My Favourite…**

"Everything, Madara-sama? How could we possibly talk about everything?" she asked him, laughing slightly at the notion that they'd sit in a cabin and discuss absolutely everything despite the fact he couldn't even tell her where they were actually heading to.

"I'll tell you about my clan and then we'll discuss what to do about this treaty," Madara took in a deep breath and waited for her objections. None came instead he got.

"Okay. Tell me, Madara-sama," she was willing, apparently.

"Fine. What do you know about the Sage Of Six Paths?" He asked her. Yukiko sighed. This story again?

"He's the God of all Shinobi. He basically taught us all how to utilise chakra and form ninjutsu. That's all I can recall," she explained. Madara chuckled.

"There's a lot more to it than that. The Sage had two sons. He was charged with the duty of handing all his teaching down when his life was caught short by some...unavoidable circumstances. Obviously he had to make a decision fast." Madara paused, glancing at Yukiko who seemed to have almost a childlike look in her eyes. "You...like stories?"

"Erm, yes I do. I'm not sure if it's because my father used to tell me them when I was younger or because..." She trailed off, a faint blush appearing. "Never mind, can you continue?"

"Right, well he had to pick one of his sons. His eldest son inherited the Sage's eyes, his powerful chakra and spiritual energy. He was under the absolute resolve that force and strength was the way to keep peace. The younger son had the Sage's willpower, body and physical energy and believed love would keep peace. When the time for decision finally came the Sage chose the younger son. The eldest son had felt it was his right to inherit his father's dream as he was born first. He flew into a murderous, jealous rage and a war was sparked between the brothers," Madara explained, his voice almost solemn as he did so.

"So...The Eldest son established the Uchiha clan and the younger son established the Senju?"

"Eventually, yes that's what happened. The Senju have their Will of Fire from this. And the Uchiha carry the Curse of Hatred,"

Curse of Hatred? She'd heard those words before...

"Izuna-kun mentioned a curse. He said something about not being able to escape the bloodstained history of the Uchiha." Yukiko told him with a frown. "He said he wanted to escape it,"

"I did too. But if his death taught me anything. It's that there is no escape from our fates. We're one and the same, me and Hashirama. We're almost...deranged in our battle but it's how it always has and always will be. Nothing will change," Madara admitted, almost seeming torn. He accepted the gravity of the situation though.

"Maybe it will. You know nothing will change if you don't try. That's a basic philosophy. You don't have to decide this moment," Yukiko concluded.

"You're the one pushing me for a decision and now you come tell me you don't need one!" He snapped but she held her hand out to him.

"New plan, we'll improvise. We go to the Senju, we discuss the terms of the treaty and THEN make a decision," she said, laughing a little. "I'll be there as a Council Member so I'll be blunt with you, I suspect you need it,"

"I don't _need _anything from you," Madara warned her sternly however she smirked at this.

"Madara-sama, really?"

"Really. I don't need anything from anyone. I just prefer to have you when comparing it to the alternatives," he snidely remarked, expecting that the comment would hurt her however she appeared unaffected.

"Such as Raimei?" his Sharingan seemed to flare as she said this.

"Such as Raimei, although I wouldn't get comfortable if I were you. You could be replaced," Again this just seemed to bounce straight off of her.

"Of course, Madara-sama. On paper..."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the Uchiha snapped angrily, getting annoyed with this game.

"Well, if you wrote out all of my uses on paper, Madara-sama, any child would be able to tell you that my skills are unremarkable and that I could be replaced by some well-trained secretary. However I very much doubt that's why you keep me by your side anymore," she explained, sitting down in front of him again. A small smile still on her lips. "Perhaps...No, it's not guilt. Maybe it was at the beginning,"

"What're you getting at, Yukiko?" he asked.

"Never mind, Madara-sama, I'm just wasting precious time,"

* * *

><p>Hashirama paced up and down his office as Mito calmly sat down behind his desk.<p>

"They've not said no. I realise they've not said yes however I feel you're being uncharacteristically pessimistic," his wife told him, getting up. "They're grieving,"

"I realise that, but it's been nearly a month," he answered, he needed this. He couldn't keep this up any longer. The feud had to end.

"I'm very proud of you for even sending it," Mito praised, standing up and hugging him. "You can't say you didn't..."

"Nii-sama! They're here!" Tobirama ran in, looking down to the floor for a moment. "Yukiko and Madara are here to talk about that treaty,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat down with Madara in a meeting room. While she was calm and prepared to deal with Madara's temper, he was already reconsidering.<p>

"He'll come in here with that damn smug attitude," he whispered to her. "And if he does, I'll break his fucking neck,"

"Madara-sama, remember that you're the better man here. You didn't have to come here to discuss this but you did," she informed him with a tiny smile.

"Stop stroking my ego," he muttered to her. "This is for the Uchiha and so the Council will stop breathing down my neck. No, the rest of the Council are fine. It's you that's the problem,"

"You assigned me the position, I accepted,"

"I gave it to you because of your leadership skills," he swiftly retorted. "Plus...I rather thought I could control you,"

She gave him a curious look. "How?"

"Manipulation and punishment,"

Yukiko looked stunned for a moment. Playful banter between the two was all that was going on however she hadn't felt so comfortable around him in what felt like ages. She laughed slightly. Maybe there was hope, not just for the Uchiha but for the lovers as well.

The door opened and Hashirama came in alone, deciding that his brother would just aggravate the situation like usual.

"Madara-kun," he held his hand out to the Uchiha. Madara shook his head and Hashirama dropped the gesture. "I'm grateful that you've shown up. Shall we get straight to business, I guess you would like to know my plans,"

"Fine. I would prefer if you didn't waste my time," Madara said bluntly. "Why do you want this treaty is my first question?"

"As you may know, Yukiko and I had a plan to form a shinobi alliance. I'm still planning on this however my priority is to put behind these constant battles with the Uchiha. If no one else comes together with me but you do, then it'll have been worth it. Our armies are exhausted, our resources wasted and obviously there was the..."

"Don't. Even mention my brother. We aren't here for your pity," Madara interjected suddenly.

"Of course. Although you have my condolences. The fact that you are here is a testimony to your strength. So here's my plan. We put together our armies, pile our resources together with as many clans as possible and form a shinobi force the likes of which no one even think is possible," Hashirama gave Madara several papers which he quickly passed to Yukiko before Hashirama continued. "I'm talking the Hyuuga, the Hatake, the Yamanaka, the Inuzuka, the Aburame..."

"And then what? We have a large shinobi force. That's it. We can't expect them all to just stand around," Madara pressed him, apparently not bothered with the who, no matter how impressive the list was, but rather focussed on the why.

"Quite simply. We set an example of peace and we help the Fire Daimyo defend his borders," the Senju has a whimsical smirk on his lips as he said this.

"Peace? That's it? We all become friends and then..."

"No one will get involved in other clans affairs will they?" Yukiko cut him off before he flew into a rant. Madara glared at her but either she was blind or she just pretended not to notice.

"No. All clan leaders will still be responsible for running their clan. However, Madara-kun, if he accepts, and I will be co-founders of the alliance and as such we will have added duties of keeping the alliance peaceful," this seemed to both surprise and please Madara, he actually chuckled.

"Me and you? Running an enormous army...together?" Madara seemed sceptical, looking at Yukiko as though he wasn't quite believing what he was hearing.

"If you two need time to talk it over then you can stay the night here and discuss it," the Senju offered, Yukiko sighed though. Did she really want to spend more time here than needed? More importantly, did Madara?

"Fine, we'll go talk," Madara got up and quickly left the room, Yukiko rushed to follow him but was stopped in her tracks by Hashirama grabbing her wrist.

"If you love him, you'll tell him what he needs to hear the most right now," he told her cryptically before letting her go.

* * *

><p>Atsuko had walked for what seemed like an eternity. In her mind she replayed the whole thing…<p>

"_I'm very sorry, girls," her father said solemnly, sitting down on the edge of Minako's bed. "Your mother…She went out for a mission, you remember?"_

"_Yea, she was going to spy on all the nasty Senju!" Minako chimed, a boastful smile on her face. "Remember that, Atsuko?" _

"_I remember, Nee-chan," _

"_I'm so sorry, girls. The mission went horribly wrong and…And your mother was killed. She's not coming back…"_

All those years ago, she'd lost her mother. And then she lost Minako…And now she'd lost the man she'd always loved. Izuna…

She stared up at the darkened sky, remembering all the times she'd told Hayate that without Izuna she had no place in the clan. Well…Now she didn't.

Izuna was just like everyone else, doomed to die despite seeming indestructible. Or maybe it was Atsuko's fault. Perhaps she was just cursed to lose everyone she cared about. That was why she'd left because who of her friends would be next?

Hayate the guard who was hopelessly in love with her? Aoi the cold genius who had always looked out for her? Minoru the insane healer from a distant land? Yukiko…Not just her closest friend but also the one person now who had a chance at keeping Madara sane?

Or would it be her childhood friend, Madara, himself?

She couldn't risk it. She couldn't bear the thought of losing anymore. She'd just given up.

To Atsuko, she'd lost her light completely and was now left to drown in the dark.

* * *

><p>As soon as the door to their allocated room was shut, Madara began his marathon of complaints which began with…<p>

"This is a hastily thrown together plan by a man of genius who suffers from delusions that we'll all band together, become friends and nothing bad will ever happen!"

Yukiko wasn't sure if she was supposed to reply to this or not however she felt she'd rather be safe than sorry and kept her mouth shut. Council Member, she may have been but Madara was still the Uchiha Leader.

"Me..._Co-_found…With _him! _What kind of blind liar talked him into this? His crazy wife, it has _her _written all over this. And his damn condolences, who the hell does he think he is?" She bit the bullet now and decided to make a comment.

"He's trying to help you and put aside these differences, and so are you because you showed up here to discuss it…which again…"

"Makes me the better person. I know!" Madara sat down on the bed, clearly shaking with anger. "How am I supposed to go along with this?" he asked her, his voice quieter now. "I'm against this. _So _against this."

Yukiko frowned. "I realise that but I'll remind you that…"

"I know this isn't about what I want! But dammit this is _my _clan! What's the point of even coming here if I had no option to begin with?" his head in his hands as he said this. Madara hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was tired as well. Not of war but just physically and emotionally exhausted, he had nothing left to give. Did he even want to fight on without Izuna?

"There's always a choice," Yukiko said after a couple of minutes of thinking. "What you mean is there only seems to be one right choice…"

"That's not what I mean!" he snapped, glaring up at her. She was leaning against the wall, arms folded with a look of something like sympathy…or was it worry? He just couldn't care less anymore.

"This is too soon, I'll go tell Hashirama-san to give you a little while…"

"Don't you dare! I lost my brother, I'm not dead! I'm not mentally ill! I'm not incapable of doing my job!"

She looked at him, her crimson eyes burning. "You trained so hard you've harmed yourself. As a member of your Council…"

"Don't give me that crap! You keep saying that to just distance yourself like usual!"

Yukiko's expression changed from anger to shock and then confusion and finally she settled for sadness.

"That's not true. You're the one who's been distant as usual, Madara-sama. If you think you can make this decision then go on. But don't tear yourself apart," she said quietly, sitting next to him. "We shouldn't argue about it. You know my feelings on this; it's up to you at the end of the day. At the same time this isn't something to rush into,"

"Then stop pestering me and let me think," Madara sighed. Again, Yukiko got up.

"I'm going to go for a walk," she expected him to stop her however he made no attempt to and she simply left him there.

It seemed surreal. She knew the Senju Stronghold quite well, but now she was looking at it in a different light. She walked down to a floor about the cells, standing in the middle of a corridor, staring at the floor.

"Kohaku-san…"

"I never celebrate the death of an enemy, Yukiko," she turned around to face Hashirama, smiling gently at her. "I was hoping we could have one of our talks,"

"Considering my position with Madara-sama, do you think it's wise?" Yukiko asked him however she knew she wouldn't say no and by the sounds of his light chuckling so did he.

"A talk between two friends is not something Madara-kun will worry himself over,"

"You have no idea what he worries himself over. He tied me up in his room once just to make sure no one got to me," Yukiko laughed and with a final glance down to the floor where Kohaku had died she followed Hashirama.

"Well, I've got some new sake that's just come in so I'm sure you're interested,"

* * *

><p>Minoru sat at the tiny desk in the small room he'd been given. He wanted to go home so badly and yet…<p>

He was sat trying to think of what he could write to Hisano.

You were wrong. He could start with that however despite not trusting her he couldn't say she was a bad judge of character. She had said Madara Uchiha was a madman and she was right about that. But he was also…somehow….a charismatic leader not to mention that Hisano had been worried about someone hurting Yukiko and he was sure as hell Madara wouldn't allow that.

"In my opinion…No…It is my understand that…That's not right either," he muttered to himself, chewing the edge of his brush in frustration.

Occasionally he'd glance out of the small window, thinking to himself that this was the perfect chance for his research to commence and yet he had no motivation.

He needed a specific goal. Minoru shook his head; he was at a complete loss of what to do.

"I'll go talk to that Aoi guy; he'll give me some ideas,"

* * *

><p>Three bottles of sake between them later and Yukiko and Hashirama were sat in a random room they'd chosen, Yukiko sitting on the futon while Hashirama was sat with his back against the wall next to her.<p>

"Don't…tell my wife about this, she's not fond of me drinking," Hashirama pleaded with her before taking another sip.

"Don't tell Madara-sama then, he's not exactly a fan either," Yukiko laughed, trying to imagine the great Hashirama being told off by his wife.

"Yes, but you drink a lot. It's normal for you. I'm a married man, I have responsibilities to uphold," he explained only half-jokingly.

"I'm a…thing…to Madara-sama. Hm, I don't know what you could class me as. We'll probably never marry, he's not the type to marry I don't think. In fact we may never even have children. Ah…" she paused for a moment. "Why am I thinking about these things? Much too serious, perhaps we should change the subject. Something more light-hearted, I've not had a light-hearted conversation in a long time, it feels,"

"I can only imagine how bad it is at the Uchiha Stronghold. The loss of Izuna-kun is an awful one,"

"No. You're not getting me drunk so I'll talk about the Uchiha. I'm not selling them out for anyone. Don't underestimate how well Madara-sama can read me," she suddenly warned him. He pretended to look offended before laughing.

"Not many people in this world would dare underestimate Madara-kun…"

"That's because those who do are already dead," Yukiko joked, her gaze turning to the full moon outside. "Maybe I shouldn't have left him by himself,"

"Madara-kun probably needs some time by himself, you being around probably makes him feel pressured into making a choice quickly. You did the right thing and I'll add at this point…I always told you you'd fall for a great man," Hashirama explained with a whimsical smirk on his lips. His dark eyes seemed to flicker with an unusual mischief for a moment.

"You did and I have. You should open a side business for your predictions, they're usually very accurate. Tell me, Hashirama-san…"

"We've been friends since we were children, why am I still Hashirama-_san_?"

"Fine…Hashirama-kun…What decision do you think Madara-sama will make?" she asked him, getting up and drinking the rest of the bottle quickly.

"Quite honestly, Yukiko, I'm really not sure anymore. He's nearly impossible to read, that man,"

* * *

><p>Madara was fast asleep when Yukiko stumbled into the room. She laughed slightly, crawling onto the bed and stroking his hair gently.<p>

"Madara-sama…Madara-sama," she whispered. "I'm back…"

"You're drunk, you reek of sake," he groaned, his deep grey eyes looking up at her.

"I know…Me and Hashirama-kun shared a few drinks and had a nice long talk," she explained with an inane smile. Madara sat up, glaring at her.

"Why? He's the damn enemy!"

"Because he's an old friend of mine and because I was upset so we talked and decided that if anyone underestimated you, you kill them. Oh. And that we can't predict how you act, and that you're wonderful," Yukiko listed with a now triumphant tone in her voice. "You should go back to sleep!"

"How can I? If I do you may wander off again or keep touching me," Madara snapped before sighing. "Can you just stay away from the drink?"

"I drink loads less now! You've not even asked why I was upset!" Yukiko exclaimed, standing up and taking off her shorts and top.

"I don't need to. You're not as complex as you like to think. Nothing in your mind escapes my eye. What the hell are you doing?" he glared at her as she lunging at him; he quickly rolled out of the way.

"I wanted to hold you," she told him, sitting up. "You look like you need it,"

"Well you misjudged." He stated flatly. "I don't need anything from you at the moment," she seemed slightly confused by this, tilting her head to the side.

"What if I need something from you?"

"Then you'll have to go without," he told her wearily.

"And if I can't?" she edged closer to him. "Say it's an actual need?"

He eyed her carefully for a moment before smirking. "Then what could I possibly do or say?"

"This…" she pulled him into a kiss, her arms wrapped around his neck. He grabbed her arms and pulled her away from him.

"Yukiko, I'm going back to sleep,"

She honestly looked quite hurt, although this was the first time he'd rejected her affections. She whimpered slightly, in her intoxicated state she didn't quite understand him.

"Madara-sama?" she nudged him again. "Madara-sama?"

"Go to sleep." Was all he had to say to her.

Yukiko got up, removing her underwear and moving towards the bathroom.

"What're you doing?" he asked her, begrudgingly sitting up. "Get back here, dammit,"

"I'm not tired so I'm having a bath," Yukiko said, looking back at him with a frown. He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Do whatever; just…don't disturb me,"

"Kay."

A few minutes later though and Madara was sitting in the bathroom by the door, having dragged himself there to make sure that she wasn't going to accidentally drown.

"Madara-sama, you need help. How did you thinking go?" she asked him before dipping her head beneath the water.

"I don't need help and I'm still against this plan and nothing will change that! But I am considering…" he admitted quietly, hoping the water would muffle what he was saying, no such luck apparently as she sat up and looked at him.

"Well, considering is good! I'm glad you're considering. You know…You are a really amazing leader. The fact that you'd consider this through all your hatred, it reminds me of something…" Yukiko looked away from him, slightly hazy in her words and her eyes seemed a little more glazed than usual.

"Well that's great, hurry up."

"You're not very mean at all, that's what it reminds me," Yukiko told him suddenly with a smile. "I used to think you were the most horrible man in existence and that I could never forgive you for what you had done to me, but now look at me,"

"Yes, you're drunk in a bathtub and…"

"No!" She interrupted him quickly. "I meant, look at me and you now. Look at how short a time it's been. I mean…Almost a year, did you know that?"

"I did not."

"Well it has been. And that means a lot to me, that I can look back right now and honestly think that I wouldn't do a thing differently is a lot. I realised that when I was talking to Hashirama-kun. I couldn't imagine not meeting you and I can't imagine how it'd be if I was still allied with them," Yukiko got out of the bath all of a sudden. "I'm getting dizzy in there,"

Apparently he was now too deep in thought to reply to her. He had a far off look in his eyes as he stared at the floor.

"Not a single thing, hn?" Madara asked, not looking at her.

"Nope. Not a thing," she sat down in front of him, laughing a little. "Even right now, of course I want you to stop hurting over Izuna-kun but that's not right. It'd be worse if you didn't grieve for your brother and then you get all those pent up feelings and you'd hurt yourself," she knelt down in front of him. "Nope, you're okay, Madara-sama," as soon as Yukiko was done saying this though she passed out, falling onto Madara.

"That's it. I'm forbidding you to drink any sort of alcohol at all," he muttered to himself, toying with the thought of leaving her lying naked in the bathroom but his possessiveness got the better of him and he carried her to bed and placed his shirt on her before getting to sleep himself.

* * *

><p>"I think tomorrow we will get our answer," Mito smiled as she told Hashirama this, he'd just got to his bedroom after taking a long walk around the Senju Stronghold.<p>

"I don't doubt you, Mito,"

* * *

><p><strong><em>OOOOH. Answers. Yay<em>. Yes. I still feel like Madara isn't 100%. _He probably won't be for the rest of the story, ya know. Losing your brother does that. Madara's changed, man._ What's he like in your time? _Ha. He's hilarious and sadistic at the same time. He gets a lot of Izuna's sense of humour actually._ That's a scary thought._ I knooow! Question!_**

_**Question: You looking forward to this story ending in like 17 chapters?**_

**Next chapter: Would I Walk Through The Door Shedding The Light Of All Life? **

**That's the longest chapter title yet, I think! **


	44. Would I Walk Through The Door?

Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. This is the latest update I've done yet! :( I'm so sorry. I had lots to do for my birthday and then I got sick :( I promise I'll do a quicker update this time.

Chapter Title: The Crowing by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I have 5 hamsters and they all tell me I don't own Naruto. But I do own my characters and plots. :D

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><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Four<strong>

**Would I Walk Through The Door, Shedding The Light Of All Life?**

Yukiko groaned, twitching in her sleep and tossing and turning to the point in which it woke up Madara.

"Mada..." She muttered, her voice trembling. Madara felt her clinging to him, shaking.

"Yukiko, wake up," he said quietly at first. He repeated himself louder but this was the second time he'd seen her like this and, just as before, he found it fascinating to watch.

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko was lying on the floor of somewhere she didn't recognise, unable to move. There was a horrid drumming of a marching army approaching, she tried to turn her head and saw the Senju army marching towards her.<em>

_"No...Madara-sama!" She yelled, at the same time trying to conjure Kiyoshi but nothing happened. "Dammit...Madara-sama!"_

_Yukiko clenched her eyes shut as the army came closer, tears falling._

_"Why can't I move?" She wept. "Why? Please, Madara-sama, help me!" Yukiko shrieked in fear. "Help!"_

_She was surrounded, a group of men looming over her, swords aimed for her._

_"No! No!" She had horrible thought that this was exactly how her father had died. "Oh god!"_

* * *

><p>Yukiko screamed as she woke up, feeling herself pulled into a tight embrace. She trembled badly, her tears not stopping despite how much she wanted them to.<p>

"Madara-sama, I'm sorry I woke you up," she whispered.

"Just sleep," he told her. "We'll have a lot to discuss in the morning,"

She pulled herself away from him slightly. "Madara-sama, what would you do if I were to die?" She asked him suddenly.

"Why does it matter?" She shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know. It's just...my dream, you don't have to answer," Yukiko yawned, still hazy from the alcohol and sleep.

"If I found out someone killed you, I'd set the world on fire to find them," was all he could offer her before the pair started to fall back to sleep.

"I just want some peace just for once," she murmured. He did hear her though and it made him feel slightly guilty.

* * *

><p>Hashirama sat in the meeting room, waiting for Madara and Yukiko. He had to admit he was slightly nervous. If Madara accepted, they could move on at last and if Madara denied then he'd bring on his army even more forcefully than before and that was dangerous. Hashirama was powerful, yes, but that power came from his strength given to him by his clan.<p>

The door opened and Madara and Yukiko came in sitting down in silence. From the look on Yukiko's face he guessed that she didn't know what Madara had planned.

"We need to discuss more terms for if I agree. Putting our resources together sounds good on paper but all these clans are quite for apart," Madara began, Yukiko pulled out some papers.

"I am hoping that we'll build one large Stronghold,"

Madara frowned at this.

"It'd be huge. You also would need places for non-shinobi families as well. You may as well build a whole village," Madara sighed. "I mean it would make more sense just to have a large settlement with proper equipment stores and market,"

Hashirama sat in silence for a moment.

"That's actually a fantastic idea," he laughed. "Madara-kun, from that suggestion am I to assume you've made up your mind?"

Madara leaned back in his chair with a sigh. "Hashirama, I came here knowing that I wanted to take that damn treaty, burn it and make you feel like the idiot I wish you were. However, I realise that we are all too accustomed to war and that, perhaps, we should at least attempt the peace between war. I wish to make it known though, that this will not solve all our problems," Madara explained, standing up. Yukiko watched him carefully with a small smile though.

"By no means will it solve everything, but it is a start," Hashirama held out his hand to Madara. The Uchiha hesitated for a moment but did shake hands with Hashirama this time. "This is the start of a wonderful alliance between the Senju and the Uchiha,"

Yukiko stood up, leaving the room abruptly to let the men deal with formalities such as signing various papers.

She sighed, leaning against the door.

"What's going on in there?" She jumped at the sound of Tobirama's voice.

"Madara-sama has just accepted your brother's offer," Yukiko told him cautiously; she didn't make eye contact with him.

"Oh great now we're working with..." Tobirama winced in pain suddenly. "Dammit."

"Your wound hasn't healed? I heard Izuna-kun got a really good swipe on you," Yukiko scoffed, smirking slightly. Oh if Izuna had been around he'd be boasting, why shouldn't she?

"Tch, wasn't as good as the stab he took," Yukiko glared at Tobirama as he said this. "What? Can't take the truth?"

Yukiko was about to snap back when the door she was leaning on opened; she fell back onto Hashirama before she could react.

"Excuse me, you two but we can hear you," Hashirama sounded pleasant but it was clear that he was just politely telling them to shut up.

"I'm very sorry, Hashirama-san," she turned quickly to face him and bow. "I was being rude to Izuna-kun's memory," and that was when she noticed Madara was watching her with a smirk of approval. Apparently her outburst towards Tobirama had pleased him. "I'll go back to my room,"

On her way back though, Yukiko passed the kitchen and stole 5 pork buns before reaching the bedroom and collapsing and eating.

She felt a very strange feeling of peace, lying down and enjoying her favourite food safe in the knowledge that the awful endless toll of battles were over...for now at least.

Above all else she was extremely proud and surprised by Madara's acceptance of the treaty. She wouldn't tell him that though as he probably didn't want or need to tell him that.

* * *

><p>Aoi and Genshi sat in the Council Room as Takehiko ran into the room, excitably jumping up and down on the spot.<p>

"Calm down, Hiko-kun," Genshi laughed, even Aoi chuckled lightly to himself. "What's got you coming here in such a mood?"

"The treaty has been signed. I got a message just now from Yuki-sensei! We're officially no longer at war!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat on the balcony of their temporary room of the Senju Stronghold. She was watching the sun set actually. Laughing to herself as she fancied it was like the sun setting on war.<p>

She slowly ate her last pork bun, having saved it for a few hours. She was thinking of her father, this alliance was something he'd definitely be very proud she was part of something like that. It was the sort of thing Isamu had always wished would happen but had never been able to bring to fruition.

The door to the room opened, Madara came in looking slightly tired.

Yukiko poked her head into the room slightly.

"Madara-sama, there's some proper wine out here," she offered with a smile. "I won't get drunk, I promise. I just thought it could be nice to celebrate a little in a more refined way," she explained, Madara came out onto the balcony and pouring himself a glass of wine.

"Just this once I'll allow it. I think I made a mistake however I'll reserve judgement for now," he admitted with a heavy sigh. "There's a lot and lot of work to be done by you. Damn, the Senju get good wine. I suppose that's what happens when you suck up to Daimyo all the time,"

Yukiko laughed, fiddling with her side-fringe. "I like the Fire Daimyo...sort of. I have my issues with him but he recognises that you're a powerful man who can play the system easily. He wanted me to keep you reined in. Like woman is able to,"

He gave her a curious look.

"Yukiko, you stopped me from killing Kai several times. Albeit you wanted to do so yourself and you stopped me by continuously getting injured. But it was..." He paused, trying to think of the right word. "It was a unique way,"

Yukiko laughed again. "We can start to rebuild now, I think, don't you?"

He was silent for a moment before sighing again. "Yes, maybe,"

"It doesn't mean forgetting Izuna-kun but he sees the world through you and lives through you. He would never shut up about it. Show him you can be the brother he always loved to annoy," she told him with a smile. "I'm going to make dinner myself,"

"I'll have to watch you prepare it. I don't trust your food, it tends to be laced with drugs," he got up, quickly finishing his glass and waiting for her. "And no roe,"

"You don't like roe?" She asked, frowning a little.

"Roe is disgusting,"

"I guess you've never told me your preferences before, what's your favourite thing to eat then?" She asked with a smile, heading down to the kitchen with him.

"I can't see how it would ever matter but inarizushi," she gave him a look of surprise.

"That's...tofu. I never pictured you as the type to eat tofu,"

"It's the only thing my..." He trailed off looking frustrated for a moment. "It doesn't matter,"

"My mother didn't cook," she attempted to get him talking. "My maid, Yumi, did though. My mother was much too busy. She was always away at talks or in battle,"

Yukiko inspected the fridge as she spoke; trying to find something she could actually cook.

"Ah. How did you perfect your ice jutsu then?" Madara asked, showing a mild curiosity in her life for a change.

"Oh. I did that by myself. My mother would offer but I'd always refuse and work on my kenjutsu with my father instead," he seemed mildly impressed.

"Those jutsus...you taught them to yourself?" She nodded as she brought out some rice and eggs and several bottles.

"Yes, I used to read a lot of my mother's journals from her clan," she explained as she began to cook. "I don't know too much about the Yuki clan though. I know a lot about the Ginhana clan and I've now read plenty of the Uchiha,"

"Yukiko, you didn't have anyone teaching you at all?" He asked, finding himself strangely curious that he spend all the time with Yukiko and yet knew nothing about her.

"Nope, no one taught me when my father wasn't around except my aunt really but that was rare. You had Yoshi, didn't you? He started teaching you at 8, right?" She glanced over at him with a smile. "And you went to war at 11,"

"You need to stop reading so much," he scoffed, slightly annoyed that in this game of 'Who knew what the most about the other person?' that he had lost.

"How else am I supposed to know anything about you, Madara-sama? Your life was well documented by Izuna-kun,"

"What? By Izuna?" Madara asked, approaching her for a moment to see if she was lying. "Where?"

"In his diaries, he lent me them. He started writing them when you started training, would you like to see them when we get home?" She looked him straight in the eye, smiling. She wasn't lying at all.

"Fine, why didn't he tell me about this?"

"Because he was probably embarrassed by it actually," she laughed, not taking her eyes off him.

"Yukiko," he gave her a kiss before saying "you're burning my food,"

* * *

><p>Hashirama fell onto his bed, Mito laughing at him as he did so.<p>

"Was it tense for a moment?"

"Only when Tobirama started running his mouth to Yukiko," Hashirama groaned, feeling suddenly very very tired. "But I carried on regardless and Madara-kun seemed to be more willing to work then,"

"Maybe he found it funny," Mito offered, placing the book she had been reading down onto her lap. "So, how are the discussions going?"

"They're fine. He seems to be a little hesitant to make a few choices to be honest with you. I think he'll get going more once he settles a bit. You can certainly see how run down he is after losing Izuna-kun," Hashirama explained wearily, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"Well he's not going to recover from such a blow so easily. But as long as she's with him he must be doing better,"

"Hm? You think he tells her that?" he sat up to take off his shirt. "I mean do you think he tells her anything?"

Mito looked at him puzzled for a moment. "Yes, well, he must do, mustn't he?"

"I'm not so sure, this Madara-kun we're talking about. I don't he tells anyone much at all." Hashirama only half-joked, smiling at his wife.

"Well if there's anything I can do to help you then let me know,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Madara were back on the balcony and sat talking. It was strange, the pair hadn't spoken properly for a while but now Madara had a goal which seemed to motivate him.<p>

"I was thinking of sending Aoi, Genshi and Takehiko out to find Atsuko," she told him, pouring him another glass of wine. "We need a full Council,"

"You're right. We need a proper system now for request lists as we'll have the alliance clans asking for various assistance as well," Madara explained with a shrug.

"I'll work on that as soon as we get home. Are we moving Strongholds at some point?"

"Yes, we'll need to go talk to the Daimyo about an arrangement. Ah...this is going to be so much paperwork and my workload has doubled now Izuna..." He trailed off before frowning slightly.

"You've got me. I can dedicate myself completely to various requests and paperwork," Yukiko offered. "We'll have to work as a team now,"

"Right. I'm going to run you into the ground," he sighed, downing his glass. "We can not have anymore of these silly disputes."

"Well then you'll have to occasionally ask me for advice. You can't go through all the time on your own. And Madara-sama, Izuna-kun was really proud of who you are. You were his idol and you should be happier that you've done so much in just two days. It's so impressive," she said, moving closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I'm glad I can be here with you,"

"Hn. I just need to ask for your advice, not take it?" He laughed softly, his arm wrapped around her waist.

"That's the beauty of advice. I think sometimes I forget that I'm not a leader anymore," Yukiko dryly admitted. "So I can come on very strong, can't I?"

"At times, however on reflection I rather like that," she glanced up as he said this, smiling slightly. "You're incredibly patient so to see you just lose control is rather amusing,"

"How are we going to move 2500 people and all their belongings and the children?" She asked him suddenly. He laughed even more at this.

"I've got no idea. I'll work something out. I'm not thrilled about the move actually," he confessed, thinking of all the effort he'd expended trying to make sure his Stronghold was impenetrable. It seemed to be a slight waste now. "The children will be the biggest issue,"

"Hm. All the scrolls in the Archives as well. And Kibou..."

"Oh! Does that damn thing have to come with us? Can't you just...release it for Hoshi?" Madara growled, Yukiko lifted her head up with a look of horror.

"No. He's my rabbit! I couldn't leave him behind. I love him," she exclaimed shrilly.

"I didn't realise that damn thing was important. Does he go to war? Does he..."

"Enough," she interjected suddenly. "Silly dispute. We need a code word for it,"

"Fine. We'll use rabbit. How's that?" He offered. She seemed to think about it for a moment.

"Rabbit it is then," she sighed. "I love you," Yukiko smiled, brushing his fringe out of his face.

"Hn. Poor you,"

* * *

><p>Hisano sighed, staring out of the window.<p>

"One and a half months now, Bump," she whispered, hand over her swollen stomach. "I've got a few names for you. Your father doesn't agree with me calling you Bump but he's a clueless man."

Mishka swooped down, landing on the window sill, a letter in her mouth.

"Hello, Mish. I assume this is from Minoru," she gently prised the latter from the bird's powerful beak.

She read through the letter, frowning. "I need to get Keiji," she slowly got up, making her way to the door when her husband appears, a serious look on his face.

"Bed. Now." He ordered, grabbing her hand.

"You need to read this. The Senju have made an alliance with the Uchiha so we need a new clan to take over our war," Hisano told him but at the same time she wandered to her bed.

"Let me deal with that, I am ruler of this country. You need to relax," he took the letter from her and shooed the bird from the room and shut the window.

"I'm relaxed! I was talking to Bump but I got an update from Minoru, that's all," she explained, slightly annoyed.

"I will deal with it and stop calling our child Bump!" Keiji snapped.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked, confused by his bad mood all of a sudden.

"Nothing, it's nothing,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Madara made it back to the Stronghold three days later with a lot of work to be done.<p>

Madara explained the situation to his men, finding their reactions were extremely positive, despite the fact that he was still very wary of the entire situation.

Yukiko sent out Aoi, Genshi and Takehiko to find Atsuko and then dedicated herself to sorting through lists of supplies to make note of.

Neither of them had found a solution to their moving problem. Yukiko hadn't quite realised the scale of the problem until Hayate took her down to one of the many storerooms.

"You all need all of this equipment?" she asked, slightly dazed by the sight.

"All of it, you really didn't have a very big clan at all, did you?"

"700 people…More or less. You've got over triple that. Ah! I need to be leaving tomorrow with Madara-sama to discuss things with the Fire Daimyo. We're meeting Hashirama-kun and Tobirama there and we're still no closer to sorting this out!" Yukiko groaned with her head in her hands.

"Perhaps you can leave that duty to me, Yukiko-sama. You might get lost and confused down here," Hayate offered, trying not to laugh as he mentioned her hopeless sense of direction.

"Maybe…I wonder how training is going…" Yukiko seemed completely lost in her thoughts at this point, turning around and walking aimlessly down the corridor.

"Yukiko-sama! The plan!" Hayate called repeatedly before groaning and running after her.

"Oh, yes. The plan, if you say so then I guess I can leave it to you Hayate. Where's the…?"

"The training fields are that way," Hayate pointed left. "Just keep walking straight and you'll get there, Yukiko-sama,"

She followed Hayate's instructions and was pleased to find Madara was training with Genshi. He had disappeared to train by himself when they first got back but now he seemed to have settled back down to training with someone else and Genshi was the unlucky companion.

Yukiko sat down on the sidelines, wondering if she could find some sort of shade from the sun when she heard her name being called.

"Yukiko!" It was Madara. "Come here, call Kiyoshi," he ordered. She stared blankly at him for a moment before standing up, summoning Kiyoshi to her hand.

"Train? With you, Madara-sama?"

"Yes, come on," She laughed slightly before approaching him. "I'm not going easy on you like I usually do," He promised her with an arrogant grin.

"Fine, I've been working on something, let's go, Kiyoshi," the blade instantly shattered.

A few of the Uchiha surrounding them hadn't seen Yukiko and Madara training before and so seemed interested in her sword.

"Same trick won't work on me twice," Madara quickly weaved a few hand signs, she immediately recognised his Fireball jutsu.

"Ice style: Demon Ice Gale!" instead of mixing her jutsu with the shards of Kiyoshi she focussed on extinguishing his flames however apparently she'd underestimated his jutsu and it barely slowed the flames heading for her. "KIYOSHI!" he reformed immediately and created an ice shield in front of her.

As the flames died out she glanced around, Madara was nowhere to be seen. A sudden whirl of wind behind her and she was knocked to the floor, Madara was about to launch a kunai at her when he realised…

"A clone…"

There was a rustling to his left and suddenly Yukiko leapt out, Madara raised his arm to block her sword, Kiyoshi cutting deeply into his arm. As soon as she saw the blood she jumped back, sheathing Kiyoshi and rushing to his side.

"Sorry I…" she was cut off by Madara grabbing her and pinning her to the ground. "Madara-sama!"

He smirked. "You've improved; you landed a hit on me for a change. But you care too much," he told her. "Would you do that if I were an actual enemy?"

"Of course I wouldn't!"

"Why don't I believe you?" he asked her, his voice thickly laced with an arrogance that she couldn't believe she'd once missed. "Training's over, men. Get back to your rooms," he ordered and in usual Uchiha fashion they left quickly and quietly.

"Madara-sama, can I get up now?" Yukiko groaned, Madara still pinning her down, her wrist tightly held behind her back while he had one knee keeping her legs down.

"No. Did you get all that work done?"

"Yes I did. Hayate is dealing with some general planning, Madara-sama, I'm finding it hard to breathe," she admitted, glancing back at the Uchiha who had a strange expression.

Not…sadness but maybe a sense of loneliness…No. Maybe not, she couldn't quite pin it down.

"You okay, Madara-sama?"

"I'm bored…" he sighed, getting up and inspecting the wound on his arm. "You're the only person today to hurt me,"

"I'm very sorry about that, Madara-sama," Yukiko leapt up and slowly reached out to touch the wound. "Want a bandage for it? It looks like it may need stitching,"

"It's fine. Stop apologising," Madara snapped coldly before turning and heading back indoors.

Yukiko sighed, staring at the sky for a moment. Was it all just a reminder that no one could ever replace what Izuna had been to Madara? An actual equal. She could never be, nor would she ever try to be. It was strange but she was content being below Madara. She may have been in the Uchiha Council, by some bizarre turn of events albeit, but she was always going to be below him.

She also doubted he'd want anyone to be equal to him. Wasn't that his issue with Hashirama?

For a horrible moment, Yukiko doubted whether this alliance was going to work as well. Madara had agreed to it against his will, could that really be a good sign?

It wasn't as though Izuna was around to keep his temper in check either and she wasn't sure she could. If worse came to worse, Izuna was strong enough to take a punch from Madara however she wasn't and the last time Madara had hit her had been with the Senju around and he'd punched her to the floor and it was an experience she didn't want to happen again.

She sighed, it was pointless distractions really. She knew that if something happened she'd attempt to calm Madara…

There was a loud crash from up in Madara's room, loud enough that she could hear it however she knew none of the Uchiha would dare enter his room to check what was going on.

"I'd best start now then," she muttered to herself as she ran back into the corridor and quickly made her way up to Madara's quarters.

He'd broken yet another desk, that was 5 to date, and as she crept into the bathroom found he'd managed to break a sink, which was something he hadn't broken yet.

Apparently training had reminded Madara of what he'd lost and he sat in the bathroom, leaning against the wall opposite the broken sink.

"Were those empty words before?" he asked her, his eyes not leaving the mess he'd made. "When I vowed to kill every Senju and then leapt into an alliance with them, does that make me a liar to my own brother?"

"I told you that maybe we can put some of this behind us," she sat down next to him. "And that Izuna-kun's eyes would know peace at last. He told me he spent his life trying to escape the Uchiha's blood-stained past, it would be wrong to drown yourself in blood against his wishes,"

"I'm fed up. Fed up already with this damn alliance,"

"Give it time, we've got to go see Hashirama-kun and the Fire Daimyo tomorrow," she placed her hand on the wound she'd inflicted, gently planting a kiss on it. "It's only been a few days, do you want to spar with me a little more?"

"No. I don't like making a habit of beating up women," he sighed, slowly getting up. "Yukiko..."

"Hm?" he looked down at her for a moment, she patiently waited for him to finish his sentence. He took in a deep breath, about to say something then stopped.

"Nothing. Follow me." she got up, following him into the bedroom. She noted his knuckles were bleeding as well but knew far better than to mention it to him. "We're leaving for the Fire Daimyo's palace now,"

"Why?"

"I'm fed up of this place, plus..." he turned to face her, gently pulling her into a kiss, as they broke for air he finished what he was saying. "The Fire Daimyo is right, I think I know how to play his little system better than Hashirama. So let's go, my dear,"

* * *

><p><strong>This is important, yes? <em>Yup. It's also the end of Her Madara Of Light And Flame. <em>Oh...Is it now? What's the next arc called? _Stare Into The Looking Glass. _Really? Why? _You'll find out. The song for the next chapter is called Mother Superior. You should totally listen to it! It's nice. My first chapter is now fully edited to an acceptable level now! _Yay! I shall read it soon, yes, Kagi-kun? _Yay!_**

**Question: What did you think of this arc? **

_**Next chapter: Pick The Road You'll Walk In This Tale. **_


	45. Pick The Road You'll Walk In This Tale

Stare Into The Looking Glass begins here! Aren't you glad? I am. I love this arc. It's less about action and what's actually going on and more about tying up the emotional journey that's been going on so far. Inspired by the song The Looking Glass by Avantasia "I gotta know all about hell and below, they never told me." "When I gaze at the man who is gazing at me, when I stare into the looking glass when I ask what he sees!" and of course Mother Superior by Coheed and Cambria.

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: Do I have to keep saying I don't own Naruto? REALLY?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Five<strong>

**Pick The Road You'll Walk In This Tale**

Madara hadn't been joking about leaving immediately and five minutes later they were packed and out of the Stronghold on the half a day journey down to the Fire Daimyo's.

Yukiko was quietly trying to figure out if they was just a contest to see who could get a deal with the Daimyo first, despite Madara and Hashirama being on the same side, or whether this was just a temporary cure for Madara's boredom.

The sun was high in the sky as they walked down the road to the Daimyo's. Madara took note that Yukiko had a strange tick of looking up at the sun every few minutes, sighing.

"What?" he snapped after about an hour after she'd started. She looked surprised for a moment before looking blankly at him.

"What?" she asked, confused by the anger look on his face.

"You know what. You're sighing and looking at the sun,"

"Is there a more...shaded path we can take?" she asked rather carefully, giving no indication of why she wanted another path.

"Yes but this is the quickest route, why? What're you up to?" he told her, slightly annoyed by her strange behaviour.

"Nothing, I just don't like the sun all that much," a lie. But he was far too fed up to ask her what she was lying about. She told him way too many lies and now he just accepted it. She knew he could tell when she was lying, so what was the point of even bringing it up anymore?

They continued to walk in silence, Yukiko was far too deep in thought to even bother trying to strike up a conversation not to mention there wasn't much to talk about. And yet their silences were usually quite comfortable. Although she wasn't at all comfortable in the heat. Coming from a country where it was always cold and the sun came out during one month and even then it was cold, she was unaccustomed to the heat of the Land of Fire, not to mention she always tended to burn in the sun as well. It had her on edge and guess that was why Madara seemed annoyed. He didn't like her being edgy, perhaps it made him a little edgy but more than likely it just irritated him

More hours past and she was starting to slow down, repeating to herself that they weren't too far from the Fire Daimyo's now. And that's when the first sign happened...Yukiko felt her right leg cramp up suddenly. Madara stopped walking when he heard her yelp in pain.

"Tch, tell me you can walk a few miles without getting cramp...What sort of kunoichi are you anyway?" he asked with his typical aggravated tone.

"I've already told you, not a very good one. Not when compared to fine shinobi such as yourself," she said through gritted teeth. "I'm fine. It's nothing." she lied, straightening up and carrying on walking, albeit in quite a bit of pain. She conjured ice to her hand and kept her hand on her right thigh, easing the pain a little. "Some ice will help it, that's all," however her ice was quickly melting due to her unsteady chakra she was unable to keep it solid for long. Her eyes fell onto the road ahead. They wouldn't be at the shaded part of the path for another 45 minutes at least, she calculated. But if she shut her eyes, she could try to focus on the sound of the running river.

"Can we...?"

"We're not deviating from our path!" he interjected swiftly, glaring back at her. "I'll leave you behind if I..." Yukiko held her hand over her mouth suddenly. "Seriously...You're going to be sick?"

Yukiko didn't verbally answer but instead shook her head furiously.

"You are." he bluntly stated. "For some damn shade you're going to..." Madara didn't manage to finish the sentence as Yukiko dashed off, throwing up onto the grass at the side of the road. He rolled his eyes, slowly approaching her. "Feeling bet..."

"I'm fine." she quickly told him, shakily standing up. "Let's just carry on."

"Tch, that's what I've been trying to do."

* * *

><p>Hibiko Akio had been told to expect the Senju and the Uchiha the next day and was taking time out of his schedule to wander around his grounds, well the whole country was technically his, to ponder on the peculiar situation that had unfolded. A treaty between the most unlikely of clans. It would go down in history, surely, and if Hibiki welcomed them into his country almost...monopolized the two clans, then what could possibly be better?<p>

Of course as he wandered down to the gates of his palace his thoughts instantly changed from "What a marvellous idea this is..." to "Why on earth is Madara here? And why on earth does Yukiko look like she's going to die?". Of course, he'd been apprehensive about Madara and Yukiko's...whatever Madara and Yukiko's thing was counted as. But over time he got used to the idea and was now quite entertained by it. The two couldn't be anymore opposite if they tried and yet something about them just _worked _in his mind. However he accepted that the pair had...quirks. But he'd never known Yukiko to look so...ill.

"Madara-kun, you weren't supposed to be here until tomorrow," he stated, trying to sound polite but he had a country to run and rarely had any spare time at all lately so Hibiki found himself to be rather annoyed.

"Something came up," was all Madara was willing to offer.

Hibiki thought to himself for a moment and then sighed. "Of course, let me get settled first. I'll send someone up when I can talk," his eyes moved to Yukiko now. "You should lie down. Now," she gave him a look as though she didn't quite hear what he'd said before following Madara up to the room they'd last been allocated and, in fact, were always allocated.

"Yukiko, I'm..." he turned around after shutting the door and found that Yukiko had passed out on the bed, panting heavily. He noted that her chakra was very unsteady now, he knelt down and placed the back of his hand on her forehead. Burning. She felt like she was burning from the inside.

* * *

><p><em>Izuna. 9 years old, whimpered in his disturbed sleep. Madara knelt down next to his little brother, frowning. <em>

_"I don't understand what's wrong with him..." he gently muttered. Someone heard him though. _

_"Hey! He's got an awful fever! Someone get me a bucket of icy water!" It was Minako, rushing into the room after barking her orders. "Heat exhaustion, Madara. He was training out in the sun today for hours. Dammit," she grabbed the bucket that was brought in, squeezing out a cloth before placing in on Izuna's forehead. _

_"I can deal with my own brother! Piss off, Mina!" Madara snapped angrily. "He's my responsibility," _

_"Then why didn't you realise he was struggling? Why don't you EVER realise that people around you are struggling?" _

* * *

><p>Madara gritted his teeth, turning around and opening the door, spotting a maid close by.<p>

"I need a bucket of icy water," he snapped, heading back to the bed. "Stupid. Stupid." Moments later a maid came rushing back and then retreated as soon as she saw the look of pure anger in his eyes. He placed a cold cloth on her forehead muttering to himself various things about him not being a medical nin.

"Madara-sama, I don't do well in the sun..." Yukiko groaned, wavering in and out of consciousness. "It's my skin..."

"Shut up! Just go to damn sleep and let me deal with the Daimyo," he ordered her. "Should have just damn well said!"

There was a sudden knock at the door, a servant came in to take him to see Hibiki. "Get someone to keep her fever down," he said before leaving.

* * *

><p>Hibiki wasn't sure how to approach this situation. He was very...apprehensive. Most people would accept that Madara showing up before Hashirama, even if they were allies, was a bad omen. A sign of an oncoming storm perhaps and even though Hibiki was experienced in dealing with Madara he was still worried.<p>

The Uchiha strode into his office and sat down without even speaking to Hibiki. Madara managed to exude arrogance even if he was just sitting down, a noble air even. A great warlord he may have been but Madara could have been so much more. He was...ice cold brilliance. Hibiki observed him for a moment.

"Madara-kun, what can I do for you?" He asked calmly. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow although however short your journey was it took a toll on Yuki-chan,"

"Tch, she's my concern not yours. I'm here about an arrangement between the Shinobi Alliance and the Land of Fire," Madara told him flatly.

"Isn't that for tomorrow? For an alliance you aren't very...allied are you?"

"What?" Madara seemed more irritated now.

"Well, you're a founder of the Shinobi Alliance, yes. But you're a CO-founder. This alliance will never work if you charge off on your own. Madara-kun, you're so brilliant and yet you have so much to learn," Hibiki explained with a sly grin, leaning back in his chair. "You're young, Madara-kun. I..."

"No offense, Daimyo, but I'm not here for a lecture. I'm here to discuss several matters,"

"Nope. I'm not. Not without Hashirama. You are both in charge of this alliance," Hibiki refused, standing up. "You must learn to rely on others,"

"How dare..."

"Nope. I will gladly deal with your rage for a night if it means that tomorrow your alliance will be stronger," Hibiki informed him with a matter-of-factly tone and a wave of his hand. "I suggest you go deal with your...concern,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was still wavering in and out of consciousness when Madara strode into the room.<p>

"Out."

"Her fever is still quite high," a nurse informed him. His eyes narrowed, his grey eyes staining red as his Sharingan appeared.  
>"Out. Now." He repeated, fiercer this time. The nurse leapt up and vacated the room immediately. Yukiko stirred, placing a hand over the damp cloth on her forehead.<p>

"Madara-sama, you're here already?" She groaned, going to sit up however he pushed her back down.

"Don't be an idiot. And of course I'm here. The Daimyo was...less than cooperative. He doesn't want to see me without Hashirama. He thinks he's teaching me a damn lesson. Who the hell does he think I am?" He snarled, taking a breather as he stood staring up at the ceiling. "This is a mistake,"

"So you keep saying. Madara-sama, you can't keep saying that every time something you don't agree with happens," Yukiko told him in a weak voice. "You did well to listen to him though, he is a Daimyo and we're not here for a fight,"

"I realise that! Dammit. I only say that it's a mistake because you know full well that I never wanted this alliance," Madara explained. "How long till you're up again?" His voice still had its angry tone but Yukiko sensed that he didn't mean it to sound vicious.

"Give me a moment, it's heat exhaustion," she brought her hand up to her forehead and shut her eyes, ice emitting from her hand. "Ah. That feels nice,"

"Handy affinity, isn't it?" He asked her, calming down after a few deep breaths.

"Each affinity is handy. Except maybe lightning and earth," she laughed slightly, her temperature dipping. "I don't like earth,"

"Tch, earth affinity is one much like fire. It's about brute force," he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Water and wind, like you, are more about chakra control. It takes a steady hand to utilise them,"

"Fire...your fire is breath-taking," she muttered.

"I heard that." He flinched as her cold hand touched his.

"I meant you to. It burnt through my ice and nearly broke through my Kiyoshi,"

He squeezed her hand. "It's because you're weak, and I destroyed your ice with a weak jutsu," he said with a smug smirk. "I don't even try when I'm fighting you," Yukiko managed to sit up this time, jabbing the cut she'd made on his arm, he hissed in pain and recoiled from her. "You damn woman,"

"Perhaps if you tried a little harder I wouldn't have managed to hurt you," she stated bluntly. He'd clearly hurt her precious pride.

"You overstep your mark, Yukiko," he warned her darkly. "If I actually tried, I'd kill you in a heartbeat,"

"Then why don't you?" She asked, lying back down as she felt ill again. "Why don't you ever try?"

"Because I don't want to," he scoffed, looking away from her. "I only ever do what I want. That's why I'm so annoyed with this entire situation. I can't even talk to a damn Daimyo I've been doing business with for years without Hashirama holding my hand!"

"That's not what's going on. It'd be wrong for him to make any sort of arrangement without both founders present," Yukiko calmly explained.

"He's cutting my connections,"

"You're paranoid."

"Of course I am!" He yelled angrily, standing up and facing her. "Why wouldn't I be? We have been at war for YEARS and all of a sudden we're supposed to be the best of friends! That's not how it works!"

"Hashirama-kun doesn't expect it to be like that. This is purely business. He's not asked you to die for him. He's not dabbling in Uchiha affairs. You're both working towards peace. So please, calm down," Yukiko shakily got up. "Please?"

"Oh you're loving this, aren't you?" Madara snarled suddenly.

"Excuse me?"

"You always wanted peace with the Senju! I've just realised that you're the one who gains the most out of this damn treaty!" Yukiko looked offended at first and then angry.

"What?"

"I've always said you aren't what you look like. You're a cold manipulative little..."

"Shut up!" She shrieked. "I would never EVER manipulate you. I wouldn't sit in your office every damn day working through your paperwork. I sat with you while you were blind and I didn't run away after you took Izuna's eyes. I helped organise his funeral! All of that, considering you slaughtered my clan and you have the nerve to call me names! Forget the damn treaty...I..." Yukiko stumbled, trying to hold her balance. "I don't care if we're at peace or not. Don't bring your war between us," she took a deep breath, shaking slightly. "Forgive me, Madara-sama, I shouldn't have raised my voice. I realise that you're grieving and this is happening very quickly but if anyone can make this work it's you, Madara-sama. I still have faith in..."

"Lie down." He told her, his voice calmer. "I'm going for a walk,"

Yukiko lied down without saying a single word. She'd said too much. It made her feel sick all over again.

He quickly left leaving Yukiko feeling numb. He hadn't even told her to shut up or argued back. She'd clearly 'overstepped her mark' so what was wrong with him?

* * *

><p>Madara sat outside, trying to gather his thoughts. The full moon dousing him in its silver glow.<p>

"Madara-kun, that was quite the explosion," Hibiki said, sitting down next to them. "It's not really my place to comment but when my wife and I argue I come to the exact same place,"

"You're married?" Madara asked, surprised. "I've never..."

"No offense, Madara-kun, but all Daimyo are married. It's part of the position, really. However, luckily mine is not a loveless one. Oh it was at first but people come to love through necessity and experience. Which gets me quite nicely to you and Yukiko. Have you two shared enough experiences to form that sort of love?" Hibiki asked him, fully expecting Madara not to answer him.

"There is no such thing as coming to love through necessity. It's a choice," the Daimyo couldn't help but laugh at this.

"If you think it is a choice then you are deeply mistaken. I would also like to reassure you, I am deeply sorry but you must understand I can not make any sort of arrangement without Hashirama also present. If the roles were reversed, would you not be angry if I made an agreement with Hashirama without consulting you?" Hibiki explained with a now solemn tone. "It's just not acceptable. Now, I will ask that you try and keep it down in my home and, if you can find it within yourself to start making changes so that this alliance can work, may I suggest apologising to Yukiko,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was stirred from her light sleep by Madara's return. Now was her chance at least...<p>

"Madara-sama, I'm so sorry. I was out of line,"

"Hn." He took his shirt off and got straight into bed. "It doesn't matter. It's not like you were lying,"

"I know but still..." He cut her sentence off as he leaned over her and gently kissed her. She hesitated for a moment before placing a hand on his cheek. He pulled away from her slightly. "Madara-sama..."

"Thank you. That list seems a bit damning really. But I am a man of pride and you're the woman I...never mind. Sleep," he laid down on his back with a sigh.

"Madara-sama," Yukiko sat up and faced him, cross-legged. "Can I ask you something?"

"No. However I have a feeling you will anyway,"

"Madara-sama, please?" He sat up almost immediately and looked at her with a mildly amused look.

"Ah. Feeling slightly neglected, are we?" He purred, it was strange. Her slight plea had brought out THAT part of him, a part of that hadn't been brought out in quite a while.

"No, I feel peculiar...I don't want _that _but I just...Can you kiss me again?" He gave her a curious look before submitting to her wish. She may not have wanted _that _but now she'd reminded him that it was there, he desired it.

As soon as her tongue began that oh so familiar dance with his own though, Yukiko seemed to have changed her mind. Her arms snaked around his neck as she pulled herself onto his lap. It was that spark, it seemed to flicker at every gentle touch. He realised he'd denied her affections before...But he wasn't going to make that mistake again. He slowly undid her sleeping yukata, his hands gently traced across her collar bone while her hands boldly travelled up the inside of his shirt. He pulled his shirt off, watching her for a moment before completely taking her yukata off of her. His lips found her neck instantly as he tried to mark her, causing her to gasp and press her hips down against him.

Madara growled, turning and pressing her back against the bed, removing the remainder of his clothes as he did so. His lips coaxing hers to kiss him again, her arms wrapping around him tighter before she pulled out of his kiss.

"Madara-sama, I'm still not feeling well..." she told him quietly, a tiny frown appearing.

"You say that as if you have a choice," he darkly chuckled.

"I do, don't I?"

"When your precious ice manages to freeze hell fire, you do," he harshly and suddenly entered her, Yukiko released a tiny shriek of surprise which he smothered with another kiss. If she'd wanted to protest anymore, he gave her no opportunity to, immediately settled into a quick and unforgiving rhythm.

She tried not to be overwhelmed by Madara, as always, however Yukiko felt as though her only option was to submit, as she unwrapped her arms from his neck and focussed on his breathless kiss. She could feel that tight ball of fire within her forming once again while Madara marvelled at the pure bliss of the way their bodies connected. However something was missing, he pulled from the kiss, burying his head into her neck.

"Ah..." there it was. Yukiko's heavenly stream of mewls and gasps that he'd been covering. Oh he'd never let on just how addicted he was becoming to just...her. Her scent, the way she clung desperately to both his hair and her sanity, her sweet cries of pleasure, how her back arched as she began to drown in sweet bliss, it was a symphony of submission that had him completely hooked.

She, on the other hand, was glad to hear her lover groaning her name in her ear. To think she'd reduced the legendary Madara to that...Ah. Either way she had no time to ponder, her hands reaching down and grasping at the bed sheets. Her ball of fire grew larger and more uncontrollable and her gasps reflected that ten-fold. Madara placed one hand at the back of her head as he bit down on her neck in frustration. Release...now...he needed...

A shrill cry of his name and her walls tightly clasped him, he immediately filled her with his seed. And there they were. Two exhausted, naked lovers. For the briefest of moments, Madara wasn't a clan leader, war lord, ally to the Senju. No, he was just heavily panting as he rolled onto his side and embraced Yukiko however he had a single need from her.

"Don't ever betray me."

Yet Yukiko had already fallen asleep. It left him admitting several things to himself. Yes, he had fallen in love. Because in a moment of bad judgement he'd let his guard down. However he concluded she must've taken advantage of his foolishness. All those nights ago he should never have protected her from Kouta. But she was attractive and begged and was crying...And he was an idiot. Idiot. Idiot. He cursed himself over and over again. The second admission was that he didn't want to be alone. Izuna's death had made that clear to him. Maybe he was human after all but that emptiness was far more terrifying than any prospect of war. He'd never recover from his brother's death. Ever. However, and this was the third, he had Yukiko. If she could read his mind, he'd be screwed. No...He'd kill her if she could ever do that. Well...Maybe he wouldn't.

Madara yawned, setting his thoughts aside and decided sleep was the best option for him. Tomorrow, no Daimyo could refuse his requests.

* * *

><p>Aoi stood in wait, his eyes trained on an inn miles north of the Uchiha Stronghold. Takehiko nudged him.<p>

"We should go ask," the younger Uchiha suggested. The elder Uchiha nodded and the pair made their way into the inn.

* * *

><p><strong><em>I liked that ending, didn't you, Kai? <em>No. You know Kay did another story and I was Yukiko's boyfriend but she was cheating on me with Madara. HOW SAD IS THAT? _I dunno. I quite like that idea. Don't worry she did one where I cheated on Itachi with Madara. Oh that was creepy. _Why? _You'll realise when you read Iris...I hate that idea. Besides. I've barely got Itachi, why would I risk losing that? _Because you're crazy? I mean like literally crazy!**

**_Question: For a start of an arc, how was that chapter?_**

**Next chapter: You're Just A Boy, So Grow Up!**


	46. You're Just A Boy, So Grow Up

I'm writing this at 2 in the morning. Talk about dedication. Or just I can't sleep. Go for the latter btw. I can't sleep. I don't know why. I'm just too stressed, I guess. So here's a chapter for you. :) Not very long but has some things in it that needed to be put into a chapter. One of my infamous 'transition' chapters. You can smack me later.

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: I'm too tired it's 2:18 now. Let me sleep in the knowledge I don't own Naruto.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Six<strong>

**You're Just A Boy, So Grow Up!**

Hashirama sighed. He'd left Tobirama behind again however he really was getting to the point where he understood that for the alliance to work, Tobirama would have to keep his distance just for a little while as even Yukiko, famous for her placid and forgiving nature, was picking arguments with him. But what could the elder Senju do? Nothing in the past could be erased.

He walked into the Fire Daimyo's palace and was led down to the dining room where, to his surprise, the Daimyo was having breakfast with Madara and Yukiko.

"Took you long enough," the Uchiha scoffed arrogantly as Hashirama sat down, confused. "We've been here since yesterday,"

"Ah, I see. Why?"

"I was hoping to get a deal before you showed up but there were complications," Madara glared slightly at Hibiki.

"Basically I refused to make any sort of arrangements without you being here, Hashi-kun," Hibiki explained with a small smirk. "Much to Madara-kun's displeasure,"

"Yea well, either way we can begin discussions this morning now," Madara concluded with a tired groan. Yukiko watched Hashirama cautiously though. Something the Senju found quite disturbing.

* * *

><p>Atsuko sat in the middle of a large hall, filled with people. She didn't know who they were or why she was there. She'd followed a group of war victims. Crying women and shrieking children...Uchiha and Senju alike. The barriers of blood had broken now, she'd heard mutters of an alliance. Where was she? She was in such a haze...Fire Country, of course. But...Midlands, perhaps? Atsuko shook her head when an Uchiha teen grabbed her.<p>

"Hey! Atsuko-san!" she turned, studying his face for a moment before she looked away from him.

"Leave me alone." she whispered, trying to walk away from him.

"We're under orders to bring you back forcefully if we must," a new voice told her sternly. Aoi. "We've been tracking you down for days now. These orders come straight from both our Honourable Leader and our Head of Council,"

"Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama?" she asked, facing Aoi with a cold look in her eyes. "I'm going to be going against orders then,"

"No. You won't. You'll be coming back with us. Now."

* * *

><p>Minoru Kiyomizu sat in his room, praying that today would be the day he'd go home. He'd been praying for that for weeks now. He was done with Hisano as well. He'd told her that and had received a threatening letter back. But all he wanted was to leave the Stronghold and if that meant cutting ties with allies then he would gladly do it.<p>

He often wondered if that made him a selfish person however he doubted it for some reason. No, he knew the reason. And at that moment it happened.

One of the medical Uchiha came in and asked him for help with a patient. Minoru got up without a second thought and walked down to the infirmary. No healer could possibly be a selfish person. But if that was truly the case then why...

He shook his head. Time with the Uchiha was truly making him doubt his own origins, that was for sure.

* * *

><p>Yukiko had to try hard not to yawn but she'd never been good at discussions, something about them always ended up making her tired.<p>

There was all sorts to discuss. If they were going to have a village, where would it be?

"Near a river, we'll need it close to a water source. However it needs to be far enough inland that we can mount any potential attack or defence," Madara explained, taking his typical approach that they needed to be reasonable about the threat of war even if they were at peace because chances were they wouldn't always be.

"Why not go for here then?" Hashirama pointed out the centre of the country on the map. Hibiki shook his head though.

"You'd get better crops building it here," Hibiki pointed just west of where Hashirama's finger was.

"That takes us further from the Uzumaki though," Hashirama said with a frown. "They're sworn allies of my people and I'd hate to not be able to defend them should something happened.

Madara shook his head. "Either way, we'll be able to. _Should _something happen though we'll need to weigh out our options. I'm not sending my men out on a heroic crusade just to die uselessly,"

"Defending our allies is never dying uselessly," Hashirama said, all of a sudden having quite a stern look on his face.

"It can be a waste of resources. Say that there's another alliance in the Land of Wind and they attack the village at the same time that the Land of Water attack the Uzumaki clan. Hashirama, tell me, would you send men to protect that clan then? Or would you save your own men and the lives of many others by protecting the village?" Madara asked, surprising both Hibiki and Yukiko. He hadn't raised his voice, he'd asked Hashirama an honest question. And it was essential they were all on the same page.

"Hashi-kun, he has a point. The village must become your top priority now, you'd do well to remember that as much as Madara-kun has done,"

"I'd find a way of protecting both!" Hashirama argued however Madara cut him off.

"There is no way of protecting both in that situation! You have to choose your allies or your own home and people. And your home and people must always come above that! Dammit you need to stop being so naïve, Hashirama!" Madara snapped angrily before adding. "You can't save everyone,"

"You can always try,"

"Yes but what's the point if you're doomed to fail from the start and that the disadvantages outweigh the advantages? _That _is dying needlessly,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat down in the bedroom after lunch, they'd decided to take a break for the day which meant she could take some time to do some writing.<p>

Madara was lying in bed trying to decide what to do.

"You could train with Hashirama-kun," Yukiko told him politely, as she placed her brush down.

"That stupid Daimyo won't let me do any training on his grounds," the Uchiha scoffed before sitting up. "I hate having nothing to do,"

"Well, we could go for a walk?"

"What would the point in that be?" he sighed, staring around the room. "How boring must it be to be a Daimyo?"

"I imagine he goes to many wonderful banquets and gets drunk a lot. Plus his wife..."

"How did you know about his wife and I didn't?" he quickly interrupted her before remembering who her aunt was exactly. "Never mind. So what would be the point in walking?"

"Well, Madara-sama, it's relaxing for one. It gets you out and moving for another and it gives us time to talk. If we're going to be in peace for a while, we'll need to get used to being around each other much more," Yukiko explained as she stood up however Madara was watching her with scepticism. "Madara-sama?"

"We can talk _anywhere _that's hardly an argument for why I should do something. Surprisingly enough, Yukiko, we're actually discussing something at this very moment. And you talk about me as though I'm some pet dog that needs walking. Why don't you go do that with that Senju dog?"

"If you would like me to, I'll go talk to Hashirama-kun then," anger burned in his eyes as she said this.

"You damn kunoichi! Fine, we'll _walk _if that's even considered something special,"

* * *

><p>Hashirama sat in Hibiki's office with a worried look on his face.<p>

"He got to you, didn't he?" the Daimyo asked him calmly. "Hashi-kun, you and Madara-kun are wonderful leaders. And..."

"When he explained it so clearly...I realised that he was absolutely right. If he hadn't said anything and that situation had occurred...Would I really have risked the lives of so many?" Hashirama seemed to be talking to himself however the Daimyo was willing to answer him regardless.

"You and Madara-kun had very different upbringings and of course that means you have very different ways of operating. Madara-kun is put all of his effort into making sure no one could penetrate his Stronghold in retaliation of what happened to him as a child. His mindset will always be with the Uchiha and preventing such a large loss again," Hibiki sighed, it was strange to see the Senju leader genuinely worried about his own skills though. "You should thank him later. He actually seems to be more able to grasp this alliance idea more than I thought. His advice to you about protecting your home seems to have helped you mature, and I'm sure he'll be glad to hear you tell him he was right. You may have to deal with his smugness for a while though,"

Hashirama laughed at this though. "If this alliance goes well I'll have to deal with his smugness until I die. Although I'm not sure if I mind, I'm rather fond of his arrogance. It's reassuring to say the least,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Madara walked all around the large palace and had done so in silence until Yukiko decided to break it.<p>

"Madara-sama, I was wondering if there was somewhere we could go," she asked with a small smile. "It's nearby,"

"That river again?" Madara sighed before adding. "Fine. It's better than walking around here thinking about how much equipment I could buy with the amount of money it'd need to keep this palace running every month,"

"You...think about that sort of thing? I'm usually the one making the orders for equipment," Yukiko half-joked.

"Which I then check and sign, you think very poorly of my leadership skills?" he swiftly countered, narrowing his eyes slightly at her.

"Never, Madara-sama, you've shown nothing but excellence. However, if you read your orders so diligently when why do I always find piles of them in your office?" Yukiko had a sly look in her eye as she asked him this.

"I remember when you struggled talking to me. I miss those days." Madara muttered. "I'd have to strangle you to get anything from you and then you'd sweetly beg me to stop...You knew your place very well then,"

"I still do. Here we are," Yukiko sat down on the same rock she'd sat on when they'd first come to the river. Although she was thinking much more clearly this time around. "You surprised me today. You sounded like a real ally to Hashirama-kun in the meeting. How long do you think it takes to build a village? A year?"

"We may to have to live in a camp for a while during its construction. If we really build where we said we would it would be too long a journey to assist with the construction if we stayed at the Stronghold. Dammit we'd be so easy to attack," Madara groaned, sitting next to her with his eyes focussed on the running water just ahead of them. "We'd need scouts, day and night,"

"Aoi-kun and Takehiko-kun can assist with that. So can I,"

"No. You'll have to deal with more formalities with other clans. Also..." he smacked her around the back of the head, even though he meant it to be light she flinched in pain. "Stop forgetting you're banned from being out in battle. And from alcohol. That wine a while ago was an exception. You're also banned from defying me,"

"Can you write me out a list?"

"I thought I told you that I don't have time to waste!" he snapped before sighing. "This is all such a hassle,"

"It'll be worth it. Peace always is. Not that I remember a peaceful time, even as a child there was too much war," Yukiko frowned. "I don't think there's anyone around who remembers a peaceful time,"

"The Samurai of the Northern Lands do. I don't think they've ever had much to do with war," Madara pointed out wisely. "Peace is just a period of time used to wait for war,"

"You really doubt this will work, don't you?" she asked sadly. He nodded. "What a sad way to think. And yet at the same time I agree completely. However everything is worth trying for peace. That's what my father used to say. I didn't used to think so but now I think he'd have rather liked you, had he met you that day," _That day..._

"You dwell too much in the past."

The pair fell silent. Yukiko was deep in thoughts of Madara and her father while Madara...He was trying not to think for a change. He was trying to relax. A concept the Uchiha found strange and he couldn't quite grasp while he was away from his Stronghold...His kingdom. He kept thinking about how vulnerable they'd be if he relaxed for a moment. She'd chosen a wooded area to sit in, which provided her need for shade but still...In the shadows...Why was she laughing to herself?

"No one is going to spring out from the shadows and attack us, Madara-sama," Had she read his mind? She was looking straight at him, still laughing. "You can relax. Even if someone were to attack us, Kiyoshi would instantly bring up a wall of ice and that would give us a moment...Sorry _you _a moment to prepare a counter attack," Yukiko explained, placing a hand boldly on his shoulder. "See that's all I want right now is for you to relax a bit. You charge around all over the place,"

"I'll relax back at the Stronghold," he flatly told her, shrugging her hand off of him. "No wonder Izuna caught you off guard so easily. Why didn't Kiyoshi block _that _attack?"

"I...I don't really know." Yukiko admitted dryly, glancing away from him. "I wonder that myself."

Typical...Madara thought to himself. He'd lashed out at what he considered to be his only true ally. Ah well...

"No matter. You ended up on the winning side of this war," She softly chuckled at this and looked back at him.

"Winning isn't everything if you end up alone." She countered.

"But you didn't."

The atmosphere changed instantly with his words. It wasn't a comfortable silence at all, not like usual. It was heavy, suffocating almost and neither was sure why. For some reason they couldn't quite match each other's gaze.

"I guess I didn't." Yukiko quietly whispered, daring to look into those smouldering grey eyes before gently kissing him. "And for that I thank you, Madara-sama,"

* * *

><p>As soon as they got back to the Stronghold, Yukiko was called up to the Council room. When she got up there though, she found someone she didn't expect.<p>

Atsuko was sitting in her seat, staring at the floor.

The Ginhana had two options. She could greet Atsuko and say she was glad she was back. Or she could not make an issue of the maid's return. She chose the latter.

"Alright, Council, we've got a space to build our Alliance Village. We'll think of a better name for it later. The move starts in a few days, be sure to pack. We'll be in a camp during the build but if we work hard I'm sure we can motivate all the men we can have this village built within a few months at the most. I have a list of all the clans we'll be working with. It's basically anyone we've conquered, which I know doesn't help or jog your memory," Yukiko explained, handing out the list to Aoi, Genshi and Atsuko. "Any questions?"

Aoi and Genshi shared confused looks.

"I have one..." Genshi began.

"Yes?"

"Did something happen while you were away? Or did Madara-sama give you some sort of drug?" Genshi joked, covering his grin with the list she'd given him.

"N-Neither, why?"

"You're very...chirpy. Perhaps that's not the right word." Genshi answered, still trying to stifle a laugh. "Cheery?"

"He means you're overly excited for such a large plan," Aoi quickly explained, shaking his head.

"Do you think I'm usually miserable?" Yukiko asked, seeming to be slightly hurt that the suggestion that her being happy was something out of character for her.

"No. You're just very..." Genshi looked to Aoi for help again.

"Serious."

"Well...you're my friends. Perhaps I'm just glad to see you," Yukiko suggested, blushing slightly. "Nothing in particular needs to happy for me to be happy,"

"So it's Madara-sama then," Genshi concluded, unable to contain his laughter anymore.

"Genshi, now I think that's a bit..."

Another laugh came from the room. Atsuko found she was unable to stop herself from laughing as well.

"Forgive me, Yukiko-sama, but it's just...I forgot how flustered you can get,"

Yukiko pouted slightly.

"Fine. Next time I come in I'll be my 'usual' serious self,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko next made her way to Madara's bedroom, sitting at the desk as she lost herself in her thoughts. So lost, in fact, that when Madara came in and touched her shoulder she shrieked in surprise and Kiyoshi conjured a wall of ice between the two.<p>

"I-I'm sorry, Madara-sama, you caught me off guard," Yukiko repeated a few times as the wall disappeared.

He stared at her before remembering why he'd come to talk to her. "I noticed that Atsuko is back. Is she fit to be back on the Council so soon?"

"Yes, she seems to be fine. It may take a while but our Council seems stronger already," Yukiko explained slowly, trying to settle after her fright.

"That's good. So much work to be done, no slacking," Madara pulled her closer. "And no more getting distracted,"

"Madara-sama, I do try," she laughed. "This is going to be such hard work,"

"I blame you for all of this." He sighed, kissing her forehead. "You're the one taking full responsibility for this alliance. You said so yourself,"

"I know. Trust me, it'll work out. Just work with me, okay?"

* * *

><p><strong>Before you ask it...<em>No this story isn't affected by the latest Naruto chapters. <em>No matter what. We're safe. _Unless of course..._SHUSH! Okay. There's one situation where we aren't safe but it's so ludicrous it won't happen. _So we're safe! _**

**Question: That tense atmosphere before? Was from? **

_**Chapter title: You've Got Nothing To Prove, Stay Afraid. **_


	47. You've Got Nothing To Prove, Stay Afraid

Missed long chapters? I have! How wonderful. Oh you may want to know why I'm updating so quickly. I've had a dull week. XD I've settled into a routine of having 5 hamsters. Izuna, Tobi, Shisui, Cecil and Claudio. I love them all but Izuna is my favourite. And Shisui is a really chubby boy. Lemme explain. Claudio is normal sized at 130g whereas Shisui is about 2 months younger and is 173g. WELL I THINK IT'S INTERESTING. FINE JUST READ THE CHAPTER.

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: No. You don't deserve to know I don't own Naruto but own my characters and plots. You know what? JUST READ AND REVIEW...please?

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Seven<strong>

**You've Got Nothing To Prove, Stay Afraid**

Yukiko laid down, finding the futon was very uncomfortable. She shifted and turned, moaning slightly.

"Oh for goodness sake, _sleep!_" an angry voice growled beside her. "I realise that it's not what we're used to but dammit..." Madara sat up. "Are you willing to agree this was a bad idea yet?"

"No." she muttered, sulking slightly. "I'm just having trouble sleeping. It's got nothing to do with this uncomfortable futon. And it is most certainly not about the noise outside. I've slept beside battlefields, Madara-sama, just as you have. I can't...cave...due to minor setbacks,"

"You're the world's most stubborn kunoichi, you realise that, don't you?" he asked her, frustrated.

"Why are they working through the night?" she asked, sitting up with him. "Is that really necessary?"

"If they don't, we'll spend longer being this uncomfortable. It's been three days...This is the most irritable I've ever seen you," he pointed out, mildly surprised that even Yukiko seemed able to be in a foul mood like him. Apparently all it took was a few bad nights sleep.

"I hate this. I hate not sleeping! Honestly, Madara-sama, I'm only human!" Yukiko got up and threw on one of his shirts and a pair of his shorts.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going for a walk," she snapped testily. "Hopefully then I can sleep. Stupid tent..."

"Hey! I didn't say you could leave...You damn...fucking stubborn woman!" he leapt up, grabbing a shirt himself and following her. "Get back here, right now,"

"I'm going to talk to Hashirama-kun,"

"I repeat. Get back in there," he grabbed her wrist tightly, pulling her close to him as his Sharingan span into view. "_Now._ I will _gladly _put you to sleep if I must and it stops your incessant whining,"

"I always wake up groggy after you do that," Yukiko pointed out, looking away from his harsh gaze.

"I will be gentle this time," Madara quickly dragged her back to their assigned tent and then pulled her onto the futon with him. "You need to sleep,"

"I can't argue with you about that," she sighed as he kissed her neck, the feel of his hot breath on her skin...Ah. "Madara-sama, please, sleep?"

"Fine," reluctantly he pulled from her neck, a slightly scornful look on his face. His Sharingan placing her to sleep as soon as she looked into his eyes. "Why can't you just admit this was a bad idea? Stubborn..._proud _woman,"

* * *

><p>Atsuko was nervous as she walked down the line of tents with Hashirama behind her.<p>

"I always see you around the Uchiha Stronghold," Hashirama told her, trying to make conversation. "You're always very close to Madara-kun,"

"That's because we grew up together," she told him quite a lot blunter than she'd wanted to be. "I'm his most trusted servant,"

"Ah...That makes sense. I didn't realise he was the type to have friends when he was a child," Hashirama laughed softly. "Of course, he was just a child but I suppose I always just imagine Madara-kun was stubborn from a young age,"

"He was."

They reached the Uchiha Leader's tent, hearing nothing within. For the past couple of days the Uchiha had heard arguing every morning.

Nothing.

Atsuko took in a deep breath.

"Madara-sama, may I enter?" she asked loudly.

"Oh for..."

"Madara-sama!" they heard Yukiko gasp loudly. "That hurts."

"Oh I meant to elbow you, did I?" Atsuko rolled her eyes, apparently they just hadn't had a chance to argue yet. "You need to learn your place again,"

"I'm sorry, Madara-sama, you just took me by surprise," Yukiko apologised.

"Enter." Madara barked from within. The two complied, finding Madara and Yukiko still in bed. Yukiko had her hands cupping her nose as it bled. "Get up and go sort yourself out," Madara ordered her. Yukiko sighed and obeyed, moving over to grab a towel.

"You okay, Yuki-chan?" Hashirama asked warmly smiling at her.

"I'll be fine, thank you. I actually slept last night," Yukiko couldn't help but wonder...How Hashirama looked so well. Like he'd had a fantastic sleep...She was now relying on the Sharingan to get her to sleep and he was standing there apparently oblivious to the uncomfortable situation.

"Hashirama, I don't appreciate you showing up first thing in the morning. What do you want?" Madara asked him testily, Yukiko throwing the Uchiha a shirt, still covering her bleeding nose.

"I was hoping you'd join me for a little sparring session,"

And then there was a moment of silence. Yukiko wasn't quite sure whether to laugh or ask Hashirama if he'd like to quickly leave. She exchanged a worried look with Atsuko. It seemed to dawn on the Ginhana at that moment that they were _living _with the Senju. This could become a common occurrence. Every morning, Hashirama coming to see them. Every day...

"Tch, aren't there more important things to be done?" Madara got up quickly, glaring at Hashirama.

"Perhaps, but I thought it'd be nice to get some exercise in first thing in the morning," the Senju seemed oblivious to the tense feelings in the room. He didn't even realise that...

"Fine. I'd never pass up a chance to show you what a fool you are," Madara chuckled, grabbing one of his katana. "Shall we? Yukiko, you deal with the men while I'm gone. I have a feeling this won't take long though," he pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. "But we'll see,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was still in charge by the afternoon and no one had seen Hashirama or Madara since. The Ginhana sighed as she watched over the construction of various houses. One of them would be hers and Madara's. The leaders got to move in first.<p>

"I can't believe you even dragged me here!" a sobbing voice came from behind her. "You're cruel! Evil...Horrible!" She rolled her eyes.

"Grow a backbone, Minoru. It's a safety precaution, unless you'd rather be killed," she turned around and told him bluntly. "I'd be glad to kill a Kiyomizu,"

"You've been spending too much time with Madara-sama," Minoru looked rather offended, sulking. "You're as cold as always,"

"I've...I'll be spending a lot more time with Madara-sama with this treaty in place," Yukiko told her with a smile. "Which means I'm going to learn to cook!"

"Y-You want to learn to cook? I guess there's a few kunoichi around here who can teach you," the healer concluded, glancing around them. "You don't mean now, do you? Aren't you tending to the men?"

"Genshi is in charge of that. Can't you cook?"

"W-well yea...But..." Minoru stuttered, catching on to what she was saying. "I mean I'm only really good with tofu..."

"AH! Excellent! That's what I need!"

"You seem freakishly pumped up..." he said, taking a step away from her. "You drunk again or something, cousin?"

"I suppose I'm lonely. Or rather...I guess I'm just. Hm. Yes, I think I am bored," Yukiko muttered to herself.

"Well..." he sighed heavily. "When you put it like that I guess all I can do is help you, cousin,"

* * *

><p>Madara leapt back, avoiding several whizzing shuriken. One of them embedded deeply into the tree beside him. If that'd hit him...Damn. Hashirama wasn't toying.<p>

"I think that's enough for now," the Senju declared, appearing in front of him in a flicker. "I'm getting quite worked up and if we don't stop now, I won't be able to help out this evening," he explained with a tiny smile. "I enjoyed that though, we should do it more,"

"I'll think about it. This was a one-off for now though," Madara scoffed, turning from him quickly. "I don't appreciate people coming into my tent in the morning for no good reason," and in a puff of smoke, Madara Uchiha was gone leaving Hashirama feeling slightly satisfied.

"So _that's _what you skipped out on our training for, to go and play with the Uchiha," an annoyed voice scornfully said from behind him.

"You'd do well to remember they're our allies now. Ah, I didn't mean that as harshly as it sounded but you've got some bonds to salvage. You can start with Yukiko. That'll make Madara-kun feel better, a bit at least. He still blames you for Izuna-kun's death..."

"And if you were him?" Tobirama interrupted. "What would you do?"

"I'd blame you too."

* * *

><p>Madara strode into the tent, being hit by the smell of food instantly and a wooden box on the futon. The...cursed futon. Yukiko appeared behind him.<p>

"Ah, Madara-sama, how did it go with Hashirama-kun?" she asked, placing a pile of paperwork down on their makeshift desk. "We'll be moving within the week, thankfully," she muttered.

"Training went fine. He wants to make it regular but I'd rather limit how much time I spend with the Senju. He could gain an upper hand if I spend too much time with them. What's this?" he sat down, carefully opening the box. "You've been cooking again? What poison did you experiment with this time?"

"Actually I've been learning to cook proper meals with Minoru. He's only good with tofu so I asked him to teach me how to cook inarizushi since you said you liked it," she explained quickly, trying not to look at him. "Although I'm not very good at cooking, I never have been and doubt I ever will be. I saw a fox today!" she remembered suddenly, her face seeming to light up. "I've not seen a fox in a long time and never a red one,"

"Tch, you can be such a child at times, you realise that, don't you?" and yet despite sounding slightly annoyed, he ended up laughing at her. "The Land of Water only has white foxes. Why make a big deal about foxes? They eat those," he pointed at Kibou's cage on the other side of the tent. "Why can't that thing go somewhere else? Maybe your fox friend would like to meet it," he suggested with a smirk, trying not to laugh at the glare she was giving him.

"I thought it was nice to see a fox here. And no, Kibou wouldn't appreciate meeting any sort of predator. I think living with you is enough for now, Madara-sama," she swiftly countered, feeling slightly nervous as Madara inspected what she'd cooked. She chose to calm her nerves by picking Kibou up. "I'm no good at these things. I tried for ages today with Minoru but I'm afraid it just wasn't good enough. But I'll have to keep trying,"

"It's not the worst food I've ever had, Izuna still holds the record for that," Madara seemed to reassure her after taking a bite. "He managed to get grit in his soup somehow..." he seemed to lose track of his thoughts for a moment before shaking his head. "I'm going to go see how the men are doing,"

"Okay," as he left she sighed and sat down with Kibou. "Who am I kidding I'm not a woman I'm a leader...Of nothing now. It doesn't stop me getting bored," the rabbit nipped her hand sharply. "Alright! I'll stop being bored and find something to do. Where's that map?"

* * *

><p>Minoru hated being the bearer of bad news. Especially when it involved giving bad news to Madara, not that he'd ever done that before however he was almost certain he hated it. He nervously approached the Uchiha Leader who was standing on a hill observing the gradual construction of the nameless village. In all fairness, while Minoru was certain Yukiko's judgement of Madara being a proud and gentle leader may be slightly overstretched he believed wholly that Madara was a good leader for the Uchiha and yet every time he looked at Minoru it was with nothing but scorn. Perhaps opening his personal mail didn't help but Minoru had hoped they were over that.<p>

"Madara-sama," the Uchiha glared down at him. Apparently they weren't over that. "You've not seen Yukiko around have you?"

"A few hours ago, I assume she's sorting through the pile of paperwork she had," Madara used the word 'assume' however Minoru was certain what he meant was 'I _want _her to be sorting through that paperwork' and he said it with such power in his voice that it almost seemed like he was making it the truth just by uttering it. Minoru felt even himself going weak at the knees.

"That's what I thought...But when I went to check a bit after you left she wasn't there and there was a small bit of blood on the bed," Minoru's throat felt tight all of a sudden, it took him a moment to realise that was because Madara's hand was grasping it.

"I don't trust you." was all he said before storming off, no doubt to find out what was going on.

"Don't trust me? I've always made it clear my only intention is to go home now!" he exclaimed, quietly enough that Madara didn't actually hear him which then caused him to shake his head. "I'm such a coward."

* * *

><p>Yukiko had her eyes shut as she gasped for more air...And then she felt like she was floating...Floating...Floating...<p>

Something grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. Surprised she tried to shriek but just bubbles came out, drifting to the surface where she joined them, instinctively gasping for air again.

"What the hell are you doing?" an angry voice demanded, she blinked a few times adjusting to the light above the water. Madara seemed incredibly angry although how he found her was beyond her.

"M-Madara-sama. I was swimming, I got...just an urge to do something I know I can do," he pulled her so she was standing on the water's surface like him. "And it's been so long since I swam, not to mention it's good exercise,"

"You're good at working for me and there's a very large pile...What about the blood?" he asked suddenly as he remembered the reason he'd gone to look for her to urgently.

"The blood...Oh you mean this?" she held out her hand, showing him the bite mark Kibou had left. "I should have cleaned it up. I hope I didn't worry you, Madara-sama,"

"I wasn't worried, I was annoyed that you didn't do what I'd asked you to do," he snapped, clenching his fists. "Don't think that in the grand scheme of things, finding a tiny trace of blood that belongs to you sends me into a state of fear. I'm a damn shinobi,"

"Oh, of course, Madara-sama. I'd never insinuate anything of the sort," Yukiko laughed slightly and stared down at the water. "I've never seen such a clear river though, it's amazing. And to think we'll be right next to it as well. I don't think it's dawned on me properly yet that we aren't going back to the Stronghold,"

"Speak for yourself. I've still got some things to take care of there," she seemed surprised to hear him say this though, a tiny frown appearing on her lips.

"Like what?"

"It's a personal matter, I'd rather not talk about it,"

* * *

><p>Minoru paced up and down as he watched others work. There weren't any injuries yet, although he'd met another healer from another clan. One called the Hyuuga and quite frankly he had been intrigued by her dojutsu. However that was for another time, he decided. In the mean time he was trying to think of where...<p>

"Minoru, what're you doing?" he jumped, turning around to see a wet Yukiko looking at him with suspicion in her crimson eyes. "Infirmary, now."

"You're alive then! Did Madara-sama try and drown you when he found you?" he asked half-jokingly and laughing nervously.

"Nope. I went for a swim in the river down that way. Why aren't you moving?" Yukiko gestured him to move down to the infirmary.

"I am! I am! I know you don't hold much power over the Uchiha and make up for it by bossing me around but still, cousin..."

"I'm Council Leader. I hold plenty of power, that's not the issue here," she sternly corrected him. "The issue is that you wander around aimlessly when you could be doing something useful. Try and remember that I took full responsibility for you and your actions which includes making Madara-sama come out to look for me, just because you worry over everything doesn't mean you have to irritate other people with it," she scolded, her tone still quite harsh. "I mean really he's a clan leader he doesn't need you to..."

"If I may object, I only told him that you weren't around. I didn't ask him to look for you, just asked if he'd seen you and he's the one who strangled me after I told him!" Minoru defiantly objected. She gave him a look of disbelief before sensing his honesty.

"Well...I didn't realise. Sorry," He expected her to continue scolding him regardless however she walked off in the opposite direction, presumably to go find Madara.

* * *

><p>On her way to find Madara though though, it crossed her path for a third time and now it was getting strange.<p>

The fox stood frozen still as it looked at her, ears flicking round to a sound near it.

"It's you again," she muttered, noting how the fox only had one eye and as such was the same fox she'd seen before and then again on her way to the river. "Want some food?"

It barked but seemed confused when no sound came out. It tried again and failed.

"Yukiko!" she turned around, seeming surprised to see Madara. "It's getting dark now, come on," Madara had a 'thing'. His thing was that she wasn't allowed to wander when it was dark without him. His claim was her white hair made her stand out to other shinobi who could try and attack when all the clans were vulnerable. He was probably right. Yukiko glanced behind her and found the fox had disappeared. "What're you looking at?"

"I saw the fox again. I've seen him 3 times today. He's gone now," she said with a sad tone, feeling slightly confused and almost feeling sorry for the one eyed fox.

"Good. They cause nothing but trouble,"

* * *

><p>Days later, Yukiko leapt onto a comfortable bed in something she could only describe as pure glee.<p>

"Madara-sama, come, sit," she beckoned as he placed down several bags of equipment.

"I repeat my statement from a few days ago, you are such a child at times," he sighed, trying not to look at her. "You need to stop being so annoyed all the time now,"

"I will. I'll be able to sleep. I'm sorry, Madara-sama," he laid down, shutting his eyes and taking a deep breath in.

"It's not my Stronghold. It's so..." he glanced around. "Open for attack, I'll set some traps later,"

"Peace, Madara-sama, we're working on trust and peace. You setting traps all over the place isn't going to help promote either," she was quick to point out, frowning slightly. He really seemed completely uncomfortable however she felt hopeful he'd adjust over time.

"I don't care, I don't like being so open," he muttered and before she realised it, Madara was fast asleep.

"I guess...He hadn't been sleeping well either," Yukiko smiled, brushing his fringe out of his face gently so she didn't wake him. "I'll go sort out the rest of the move," she kissed his cheek and slowly moved off of the bed to go and get the other bags.

_*Bark!* _

"Hm?" Yukiko turned around as soon as she'd entered the tent. "Oh, it's you," the one-eyed fox had returned, hesitantly approaching her this time. "I won't hurt you," she knelt down, holding her hand out to him. He began manically licking her fingers and then leapt at her playfully. "I can't play today, fox. I've got to move this cage and Kibou and you're not allowed to help," the fox whimpered, sitting by the entrance to the tent watching her intently. "That's a good fox, go outside and play,"

* * *

><p><em>Madara was dreaming of an endless waterfall, he stared up at it as he felt the blood drip from his abdomen. The water roared around him. He could faintly hear Yukiko's voice. <em>

_"I'm not going to let you both die here." _

_"Both?" he muttered, feeling her arms wrap around him from behind. "Both, Yukiko?" he repeated louder. She moved so she was standing in front of him, smiling. Her hair had drips of blood, her hands covered in it. "You, Madara-sama," she pointed at his heart before her finger travelled up to his eye. "And him. It's okay, Madara-sama, don't cry..." _

_"Don't...Cry?" he suddenly realised he was crying. "Why am I...?" _

_"Don't cry, Madara-sama," she laughed as she said it this time. "It'll all be over soon," _

* * *

><p>Madara stirred from his sleep, taking a moment to notice that Yukiko was in the room sorting out Kibou's cage.<p>

"Yukiko," he groaned still half-asleep, getting her attention immediately. "I'm not Izuna. I can't be,"

"Madara-sama, you need more sleep," she told him softly, kneeling down on the bed. "You're not Izuna-kun, I know that. Leave me to organise the house, I've been told that's what women are supposed to do," she joked. Madara always found a way to surprise her. He could be fierce and powerful and then in a tiny flicker he was so vulnerable and alone...She laughed softly at the notion that he even considered he could be Izuna. Where had that idea come from?

* * *

><p><strong><em>Oh! How adorable, don't you think, Kai? <em>No. Never. _I never have moments like that with Ita-chan. _And I'm guessing you never call him that to his face. _Nope. But I do think I should start. _No man would ever appreciate being called that. Imagine calling Madara Mad-chan. _Oh! I just call him Meteordara. Or Swagdara. _Huh? _Nothing. ;) Don't worry. _**

**QUESTION: Freaky dreams? Again? Don't you just wanna hug Mad-chan? ;)**

**_Next chapter title: Hope They Understand! _**

**_It's an amazing chapter. Don't miss it. ;)_**


	48. Hope They Understand

I'm not going to lie, dear reader. You're very special to me. Tell no one else but you're the most special reader I have. I'm only saying that between me and you ;) Also. This chapter was HARD to write. It's essentially one long scene which was very very tough. But this was a fixed point and had to be done properly. So here it is. Hope They Understand.

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: Holy crap! It's GIR from Invader Zim...Wait...I don't own Naruto? Bugger. Oh wait! I own my characters and plot! YAY!

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><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Eight<strong>

**Hope They Understand!**

"Yukiko..." Madara growled as he stalked her down the walkway of their house. "Tonight, we'll go over some rules,"

"Hm? Madara-sama, remind me what tonight is?" she asked, having a vague expression. "I've been dealing with the Hyuuga lately. They're a strange clan. They seem both peaceful and ruthless at once,"

"We've got a large celebration for the official founding of the village. Yukiko!" he grabbed her wrist and turned her properly, pinning her against the wall. "I'm trusting you to drink tonight, for some reason that's what normal people like to do. Cloud their own judgement and I'm telling if enemy shinobi attack I shall be the only one in a fit state to defend you all," her vague look turned to one of happiness almost immediately.

"Sake? Like actual drink?" she asked excitedly. "I promise I won't get too drunk,"

"Kimono. You need to...Oh forget it," Madara let go of her and walked off.

"Madara-sama! Wait, I need to what?" she chased after him and followed him into their lounge. "If you want something from me, just say,"

"Is this more of your 'being a proper woman' talk?" he asked with a heavy sigh.

"No. This is my 'supporting you as a team' talk," Yukiko corrected, a tiny smile on her lips.

He found himself trying not to chuckle at this though. "That's a pity. I quite like your ambition to become a proper woman. I was going to say that you need to remember you're representing the Uchiha with me. So you need to behave and look presentable for a change. I'm hoping to become leader of the village in a year or two whenever the Daimyo clicks his fingers and decides we need one and I can't have you letting me down,"

"I'm not presentable?" she said, turning and looking into a mirror behind her. "Oh damn!"

Now he really couldn't contain himself, laughing at her reaction.

"How did I...? My hair is such a mess! I look so tired, it's all this paperwork! I'm going to bathe. I'm so sorry," Yukiko exclaimed, untying Kiyoshi from her waist and leaving it by the door. "Oh...Erm..." she turned around and awkwardly bowed. "Excuse me, Madara-sama,"

"Your pathetic attempts are ridiculous, woman! You're a kunoichi! You can't change what you were raised to be!" he yelled after her, and once he was done laughing he got up to get ready for the night. "Dammit, Yukiko, don't change," he muttered.

* * *

><p>Atsuko sat in the bedroom that Yukiko and Madara shared, Madara having gone to the celebration ahead of Yukiko. The Ginhana was flustered to say the least.<p>

"I can't believe I've slacked off," she said for what seemed like the tenth time as she tied her hair up in a tight bun, her fringe still keeping her right eye hidden. "This is as good as I can do," Yukiko turned around to face Atsuko with a frown. "I don't want to let my nerves show," she was wearing a deep blue kimono with a silver floral pattern and a silver obi. "So..." she took in a deep breath. "Pride of the clan, pride of the clan, pride of the clan," she exhaled, immediately seeming more calm and settled and even managed a smile. "Are you coming, Atsuko?"

"Oh no. I'm dealing with some Council work tonight and I don't particularly want to be around all those people quite yet," Atsuko quickly answered before getting up. "So, are you trusted to walk there alone?"

"I am, even though it's dark. I've always got Kiyoshi on me and I'm always sharp," Yukiko reassured, hugging the maid suddenly. "You should take this night to relax in your own way, Atsuko, I order you to,"

"Ah...I...Yes, Yukiko-sama," she stuttered and just before the Ginhana left she called after her. "That 'pride of the clan' you said, did you learn that from your father?"

"I did. He always told me to keep in mind what's important if I begin to doubt myself. Seeing all these clans working together is enough to remind me of what's important and that's making my father and Madara-sama proud," Yukiko explained before quickly leaving.

"Perhaps I should consider making Izuna-sama proud," Atsuko muttered.

Yukiko ran down the path, lit by a few lanterns. There was a rustling and in a flash the one-eyed fox appeared on the path.

"Hello, fox, you walking with me?" she slowed to a brisk walk. "You're right, I shouldn't run. I'll mess up my hair, I don't even think about that sometimes,"

_Bark! Bark!_

"When you do that you almost seem like you know what I'm talking about," she laughed, bending down slightly to stroke his head. "Do you live around here? I live down there," she pointed behind her. "With Madara-sama, and now we have our space from the clan we're getting on very well,"

_Bark! Bark! _

"He misses the Stronghold. It was a monument of his power and authority and his resolve to protect the Uchiha from the Senju whereas this alliance, he thinks, is a monument of his broken promises to Izuna-kun," Yukiko explained as she gazed up at the night sky, the full moon beaming down. "Izuna-kun was his younger brother who passed away in a battle a few months ago. Madara-sama misses him and so do I but the only thing you can do is carry on. We're here!" It was the large office and hall that was eventually going to be used by the leader of the village. It was bustling with noise and chatter. "This is where I leave you, fox, I'm afraid you can't come in, I'm certain there are no foxes allowed," she patted his head and made her way in.

It didn't take long to find Madara, who was standing with Aoi and Genshi and was talking to Hashirama and Mito.

"Ah! Yuki-chan, you look lovely!" Hashirama was quickly to praise as always. "We were just discussing who'll become..." he handed her a glass of sake. "Leader of the village. The obvious choices are me and Madara-kun, although...the head of the Hyuuga is also considering it,"

"The Hyuuga don't hold enough weight yet to even be considered," Madara scoffed. "And I doubt the Senju have enough skill,"

"Now, now, Madara-kun, I won't have you thinking you've got this one in the bag. I'm going to give you a hard time and may the best shinobi win,"

"Then consider the fact I may have already beaten you," Madara countered the Senju swiftly. Yukiko was quick to down the glass she was given, having a feeling it was going to be a long night if Hashirama and Madara were really trying to debate something which wouldn't be decided until the Daimyo wished it. The village had to make it through autumn and winter first before the Daimyo and his advisers even announced who they were considering.

"How strange," Mito said suddenly, Hashirama's attention pulled to her instantly.

"Hm?"

"It's not often I see you so fired up about something. However never mind me, continue talking. Me and Yukiko shall have an actual decent conversation," Mito gestured Yukiko to follow her away from the men. "How are you settling?"

"Oh. We've been fine, thank you. How've you been with Hashirama-kun?" Yukiko felt a slight pit in her stomach, worrying that Mito may hold a grudge about the fight at the lake.

"Fine. Why haven't you come to talk to him yet? I remember you'd always talk to Hashirama whenever you were around each other. You two would wander off for hours. I realise you've been with the Uchiha for quite a while but that's no reason to sever your friendship," Mito had always been a woman who got straight to the point, she'd even informed her father herself that she was going to marry Hashirama without even asking permission or mentioning anything of the sort to her poor...poor father beforehand. Yukiko had never figured out if even Hashirama had known they were going to marry.

"Oh, I've not severed my friendship with him. I've just been busy with all the moving and Madara-sama keeps going back to the Stronghold for something," Yukiko, on the other hand, wasn't so blunt and lately seemed to find herself doing nothing but making excuses. "I'm sure I can..."

"Why not talk to him tonight? I'm sure he has matters he wants your feedback on. Don't forget that you're still a trained leader. Also, as much as I don't mind your relationship, do you really think -sama is necessary?" with her piece said, Mito walked back to Madara and Hashirama. Genshi made his way over to Yukiko.

"Yukiko-san, come on. Don't stand around looking blank," he teased. "Did I ever say sorry to you?"

"Hm? For what?" she asked him, slowly walking back with him.

"Nothing. Just, I'm very sorry and you have my full support, Yukiko-san,"

* * *

><p>The night promised to be a confusing one and after an hour or so, Madara had gone to talk to some of the Uchiha and Mito was talking to Tobirama when Hashirama approached Yukiko.<p>

"You're drinking a lot, I thought you were going to be sensible," he began, that gentle smile never leaving his lips.

"I was. But then I had people confusing me about matters. Not to mention, it's not really a celebration if I don't enjoy myself," she noted that Mito was watching them carefully. "Apparently you wanted to talk to me,"

"Hm, well, not talk to you about anything specifically but we only ever see each other in meetings, which you've not showed up to lately. It's good to put work on the back burner from time to time, I thought you understood that or do you need to learn it again?" Hashirama teased, refilling her glass. "Here's a good place to start,"

"I admit that lately work has been too much of a priority to me. Hopefully I can unwind soon," she admitted before downing her glass. "Hashirama-kun, let's talk,"

"Of course, how's the village looking, do you think?"

"Oh it looks great! Our house is wonderful. I've been in charge of keeping it clean. Oh did I tell you I'm trying to become a proper woman?" she asked, laughing. Hashirama looked at her slightly surprised.

"You sure that's what you want? You've always been very proud of being a kunoichi," he pointed out wisely.

"I'll still be a kunoichi but if we're going to live in peace then it's good to have a back-up plan. Oh what is he _doing?_" Yukiko groaned, looking behind Hashirama to a drunk Minoru. "My stupid cousin, excuse me for a moment, Hashirama-kun," she quickly made her way to a more than rowdy Minoru. "Minoru! What're you doing?"

"They have wonderful drink here. And look at all these people, none of them know about the Kiyomizu, cousin!" he exclaimed as soon as he saw her, trying to hug her.

"You need to go lie down or something. You're embarrassing yourself," Yukiko hissed while she tried to push him away. She took a firmer tone with him. "Go lie down."

"But they all need to know who I am!" Minoru argued with his slurred speech. "No one knows,"

"No one _needs _to know! You're making a fool of yourself."

"You need to dance with Madara or Hashirama...Thing," he told her as he tried to hug her again, only to be harshly pushed this time. "Do it! Loosen up! Have FUN for a change! Remember, fun?"

"Are you trying to insinuate I don't have fun? I have lots of fun. I play with a one eyed fox around here pretty..." she trailed off as a look of disbelief swept across her face. "Oh do I consider playing with a mangy fox fun? You may have a point but that doesn't stop _you _from being so drunk and embarrassing, I will have fun when you lie down," Minoru suddenly lied down on the floor which caused her to groan. "You know what? Fine. Lie on the floor. See if I care when someone steps onto you!" Yukiko snapped, giving up with her tearaway cousin as usual and turning and heading back to Hashirama. "Excuse my idiotic cousin who isn't actually related to me. He's a weak fool," she told him firmly, picking up her glass and filling it to the brim. "He thinks behaving badly will get him home quicker."

"Oh? And it won't?" Hashirama asked, laughing slightly at Minoru. "I can't imagine why. He seems to be able to rile you up though,"

"Only because he's a damn Kiyomizu. He's not even my cousin! We're just from sibling clans. And yet I stupidly took responsibility for him," she paused, taking a deep breath before she drank down her glass. "I didn't expect this much music and dancing at least the Uchiha seem up for a laugh," she laughed.

"We should dance," he nudged her playfully, knowing it would get her flustered.

"Hashirama-kun, I don't dance. You know that," Yukiko was quick to counter. "I never have and I never will not to mention what would Madara-sama say?"

"Oh, no doubt he'll be a little angry but what happened to those days when you claimed you'd marry me one day?" Yukiko gasped as soon as he said this and looked away from him.

"I was 10! And it was only for a little while and I didn't actually mean it and I...Why do you always bring that up?" she was quick to down her glass again something which was becoming a habit. Almost like a game, every time something confused her she'd take a drink, it was her fourth of the night and she was beginning to feel dizzy. "I don't feel that way anymore,"

"I know," he chuckled. "I wouldn't have minded though," he grabbed her arm and whispered something in her ear.

* * *

><p>From where Madara was standing he was carefully watching Yukiko and Hashirama talk and he was <em>livid. <em>Ryotaro Hyuuga was talking to him though and he found himself unable to get away and take Yukiko from the Senju.

"I've heard great things about your wife though," he pulled back into the conversation as soon as he heard Ryotaro say this.

"My what?"

"Your wife, Yukiko-san, I presume you're not sharing a home for no reason," Ryotaro laughed at the uncharacteristically dumbstruck look on Madara's face.

"Yukiko...isn't my wife," the Uchiha corrected feeling, for some reason, nervous.

"Oh that surprises me, what a shame. The Daimyo would be more favourable if you were married, not to mention the village seems to like a good celebration," he advised before walking away to talk to someone else leaving Madara finally free to go and retrieve Yukiko, Hashirama having just left to talk to Mito.

"Madara-sama, are you okay?" she asked with such an innocent smile he was slightly confused before realising that red on her cheeks. She was almost completely intoxicated. He knew the routine and signs by now. "I was just talking to Hashirama-kun about my childhood,"

"Oh really?" he was sceptical about this. He'd seen the way she was getting flustered around the Senju. Childhood memories...Yea right and he was secretly a Senju. "Why don't I believe you then? Could it because you're a compulsive liar at times?" She stared at him blankly for a moment before laughing.

"Madara-sama, I really was just talking about my childhood. Remember me and Hashirama-kun grew up together?" was what she said..What he heard in his mind was '_Remember, Hashirama knows so much more about me than you do and has known me far longer too!_'

"Which is precisely why you don't need to talk about those memories to him, he already knows," Madara snapped angrily. Another laugh. Damn her when she was drunk! Why did he allow her this one night of drinking?

"But they're fun to talk about. I could talk to you about them but I'd only be wasting your time..." Again he heard something completely different in his mind. '_I'd rather talk about precious moments in my life to Hashirama!_' His jaw clenched as he tried to suppress whatever rage was filling his blood. "You look like you need a drink, Madara-sama," she offered him her glass. "You're supposed to be enjoying yourself, the Daimyo just got here," Madara snatched the glass and downed it before filling it, trying to get drunk as quickly as possible in order to calm his anger.

"Madara-kun!" Hibiki called, tapping Madara's back. "How's the party going? Oh drink! I love a party with good sake!"

"Don't you mean you love good sake with a party on the side?" Yukiko joked. "It's wonderful to see you, Hibiki-sama, how're talks with..."

"I must stop you there, Yuki-chan, two reasons. One, you'll forget by the morning and two, put work away for tonight, just enjoy the company of Ma..." Hibiki looked Madara up and down before smiling. "Of the village, I expect big things from you two. Ah! Hashirama!" Hibiki wandered off in search for the Senju leaving Yukiko and Madara back to their prior conversation.

"It's a shame he prefers Hashirama-kun," Yukiko sighed longingly. "I wonder what it is about him,"

"I don't drink enough for his liking," Madara told her sulking. "Plus I don't have a wife,"

"You're drinking tonight and wives aren't everything in this world," Yukiko looked with him with a playful smile. "It's not like you're a lone warlord," she pecked his cheek. "I'm here," he snaked his arm around her waist. "He likes me."

"You're drunk, that's why. You've got no self-control and tonight I'll join you,"

* * *

><p>An hour later and Yukiko and Madara were sat in a corner of the room together laughing at Minoru's attempt to flirt with a Hyuuga woman.<p>

"He's so drunk," Yukiko giggled, nudging Madara. "Look at him,"

"He's not a man. Are you sure he's a shinobi?" he asked her, she shook her head.

"He's a healer which is a medical-nin who likes plants I think," she answered seeming to be confused by her own explanation.

"I thought all medical-nin liked plants. I like plants," Madara told her. "You know what...That Daimyo need a push in the right direction. He needs to realise I'm going to be leader of this village," he stood up, stumbling slightly. "Will you help me become leader of this village?"

"I thought that was my job," he seemed puzzled when she said this, taking a moment to answer her.

"You can't be leader of the village, Yukiko,"

"AH! I meant helping you. I don't wanna be a leader. It's boring and lonely," she folded her arms and glared at him. "Why don't you become leader?"

"That's...You stupid woman! That's what I'm telling you. I'll be leader," he growled.

"Then go and be leader. Although I wouldn't do it drunk," she advised, her glare softening into a look of amusement. "It clouds your judgement and if enemy shinobi attack I'll be the only one in a fit state to defend you all!"

"You...Of all the women in this world...why you?" he walked to the top of the hall, albeit a little shaky.

"Why me what?" she muttered, watching him intently. "Madara-sama, what're you doing?"

Madara cleared his throat and called for everyone's attention. "I would like to announce something to further lighten our mood. In fact, it's an excuse for another celebration soon." More drink was the thought that immediately went through Yukiko's mind as he said this. She smiled with delight. "Yukiko Ginhana and I are engaged to be married soon."

...

There was a roar of approval while all colour rushed away from Yukiko's face. He returned to her side with a triumphant grin. She couldn't contain herself any longer, bursting into a fit of laughter.

"Madara-sama, you're serious? We're getting married? Me and you?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Not just because we're both...a little bit drunk?"

"We're more than a little bit drunk and do you know another Ginhana here?"

"No. Unless my aunt snuck in. But she doesn't like you very much," she giggled, kissing him. "No. She hates you, she thinks you're a bad man," he laughed this off though.

"My dear, I'm a very bad man."

* * *

><p>The newly engaged couple stumbled into their bedroom, still in fits of laughter about various things. Madara tripped, pulled Yukiko to the floor with him which, despite hurting both of them, did nothing but increase the volume of their laughter.<p>

"Yukiko Uchiha sounds weird," she pointed out as she laid down on top of him. "But Madara Uchiha sounds weird right now as well,"

"Then just call me Madara, is that weird?"

"Madara..." she took a moment. "Not as weird as when I first said it ages ago! When you got me this," she showed him her bracelet. "Madara, can you do something for me?"

"What?" she gently kissed him.

"Call me Yuki," he stared at her for a few seconds before chuckling softly.

"Yuki, Yuki Uchiha sounds better. I want you but I'm too drunk to bother," he admitted, kissing her back. "Let's sleep."

"Okay. I'll sleep. I love you, Madara," she rested her head into the nape of his neck before nudging him. "Madara."

"Hm? Oh yea. I love you, Yuki,"

* * *

><p>Madara woke up that morning with a splitting headache, like he'd gone to war and been hit repeatedly with the butt of a sword in the same place. He was aching as well, Yukiko feeling heavy on top of him despite the fact he knew she didn't weigh much. He didn't have the pleasure of forgetting the night before though. He remembered two things...<p>

One. He'd told Yukiko he loved her. He could easily skim over that as the drink talking.

Two. He'd told the entire village he and Yukiko were going to get married. He...couldn't possibly skim over that. Worst of all he remembered doing it for a selfish reason whereas she took it as a sign of his honest affections for her.

This time he was more than willing to admit it.

Madara had screwed up. Big time.

* * *

><p><strong>Well now we're both angry. <em>Shut up. <em>You're so angry it's funny, Kagami. Did Kishi ruin something? _My damn story! He stole my story! I..._HEY! No spoilers. People may not keep up with the latest chapters. _But...Ah. Iris could need re-editing. After it's just been re-edited so ...Ha to you, Kai. Yukiko and Madara are getting married. _AH! You bitch. **

**Question: What did you think of this chapter? It's important to Kay! **

_**Chapter Title: A Torn Boy Alone. **_


	49. A Torn Boy Alone

This is a long chap! I've not done one in a while but I'm excited for this one. See it's yet more reason why this arc had to be calling Stare Into The Looking Glass. ;) You'll see what I mean. I love this chapter, after the way this one ended as well. :D

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: Time consumer, time consuming...CONSUMMMMING...the fact that I don't own Naruto. ;) But my plots and characters belong to me except Yukiko who belongs to Madara. Duh.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Forty-Nine<strong>

**A Torn Boy Alone**

Yukiko woke up on the bed, which was strange because she remembered not getting into bed. She also woke up with a pounding headache and a feeling _something _was missing. She glanced around, looking for Madara but the light burned her sensitive eyes and she retreated underneath the bedsheets.

"Why do I do this to myself...Still?" she heard the door to her room slide open and steps, that she quickly identified as not being Madara's, approaching.

"Trouble in paradise already?" it was that damn annoying Fire Country accent that didn't match its owner.

"Minoru...I'm a very patient person but leave me _alone_," she poked her head out of the bedsheets slightly to look at him. He had such a triumphant grin on his face that she was sort of worried that the thing she was missing was that she'd spent the night with him. No. Madara would never allow it. She told herself more for comfort than anything else. "Why're you feeling so great anyway? You were more drunk than I was,"

"Oh, cousin of mine, you forget that my profession means I can overcome silly little things like dehydration caused by alcohol which, by the way, enters the blood stream mostly so although you feel like you're drinking you're not. You're taking drugs," he explained in his irritatingly cheerful tone. "Don't you love the human body?"

"No. Whatever you've done to yourself do it to me, I need to be up and working soon,"

"You're so in love with paperwork that one day I'll find you in bed with it instead of Madara." he laughed however she scowled at him.

"Madara-_sama, _Minoru learn your damn place," he handed her a bottle. "What's this?"

"It's essentially a fluid I made to combat the feelings of a hangover. Or like I said dehydration caused by alcohol. It's safe and natural like most things I use,"

She inspected it carefully, smelling the contents of the bottle first. "It has...Why has it got rose leaves in it?"

"Ha...Erm...I actually think that's to get rid of the horrible taste. I'm not trying to poison you! I know well enough that all over this house are tiny vials of various antidotes," Yukiko sighed as she realised he was right. There'd be no reason for him to want to poison her anyway. She sat up and drank the entire contents without taking the faintest note of the taste of the thing. She just needed to feel good enough to get out of bed. Yet his smug grin still wasn't gone.

"What is it, Minoru? What're you so happy about?" she asked him, not giving into her curiosity.

"Oh this is brilliant, cousin, you don't remember much of last night do you?" she shook her head. "HA! Oh god you've got no idea..."

A look of horror swept over her face now. Dear lord...She was praying she really hadn't slept with Minoru now...

There was a knock on the front door which then slid open.

"Yukiko?" Hashirama.

"What's he doing coming down here in the morning? If Madara-sama was here he'd be livid, I mean you at least wait until he's gone before you intrude," she got up and made her way to the front door, already feeling much better.

"Yes, he would. You've got to think more about that now," He was going to tell her, until Hashirama appeared. Now he'd leave it to the Senju although Minoru could barely contain his laughter. Perfect. Too perfect.

"Hashirama-kun, what's up?" Yukiko asked as she reached the door. "Need something?"

Hashirama looked slightly confused for a moment before laughing. "No, I came to give my congratulations again. I thought it'd be better while you were sober. I've never seen Madara-kun drink so much to be honest. Is he in as well?"

"Congratulations? No he's not," she answered. This...there was something. The thing. The thing. What was she missing? Oh it was on the tip of her tongue.

"Oh well...Congratulations! I was so surprised when Madara-kun announced it. I guess it's just hard to imagine you and Madara-kun engaged and even harder to imagine you married but hopefully you won't have to too long until you two are, eh?"

Yukiko stared at him for almost a minute. "Excuse me for a moment, Hashirama-kun, can we talk later?"

"Yes, of course you know where to find me," she slid the door quickly before looking at Minoru in horror.

"I'm...THE THING! I'm engaged! To...I need to sit down," Yukiko grabbed Minoru's arm. He quickly led her to the lounge so she could sit down while he laughed hysterically.

"You actually...You don't remember. Oh god. How much did you drink? HA!" he managed through fits of laughter. "He's probably hiding..."

"Oh...I'm happy, I really am but...Apprehensive would be the word," Yukiko explained, her voice shaking slightly. "We were both..._very _drunk..."

"_I love you, Yuki," _

Those words rang in her ear, she shook her head. "We were both very...very drunk. And I mean..."

"It's not like he can take it back," Minoru interjected with a wave of his hand. "He stood up in front of the entire village and said these exact words 'Yukiko Ginhana and I are engaged to be married.' Like...In such a calm voice as well. He clearly meant it," he gasped mockingly. "Could it be that the great Madara Uchiha has fallen in love at last!" Yukiko gave him an look of annoyance, the usual expression she showed him.

"You realise that's now my fiancé you're talking about. I need to talk to him about this," she got up and briskly walked out of the house, the Uchiha office being just 5 minutes away however she stopped suddenly. "You."

The one eyed fox sat in the middle of the path. Somehow he managed to have a stern look in his one amber eye.

"What's wrong?" she asked, feeling a sudden wave of panic.

_Bark! _

"I wish I could understand..."

"Yukiko?" Madara was next to her in a flash, his hand on her shoulder and a puzzled look on his face. "Were you talking to yourself?" he asked, his brow furrowed.

"Hm, no I was talking to the fox," she explained before remembering that she'd been looking for him. "Were you serious last night about me and you getting engaged?"

"Yes I was. Yukiko, what fox? Is it this one eyed one you keep talking to me about?" he asked, rather pressingly which she found quite odd.

"Yes...Why?" he grabbed her arm and walked her back to their house, presumably where he'd been heading when he'd found her. "Madara-sama, we need to talk about our engagement,"

"No, we need to talk about you seeing things," Madara snapped as he slammed the front door shut behind them. "How long were you standing there?"

"Seeing things? I was there for about a minute. I'm not seeing things. I'm not insane, you just need to take into account that foxes are nervous and you probably scared him off," Yukiko argued. "Now can we talk about our engagement?"

"Kiyomizu!" Madara called, Minoru nervously appearing from the lounge.

"How did you know I was here?" the healer asked with a nervous laugh.

"You're always in my damn house when I leave. You need to do a blood test on her," Madara pushed Yukiko over to Minoru. "We'll talk about our engagement later. Surprisingly, I'm only now calling your sanity into question. Now I have a meeting with Hashirama, where are those papers about the market?" he asked as he walked into the bedroom.

"Oh, they're on the desk. Have we still only got 3 shops open?" Yukiko quickly answered trying to move but Minoru grabbed her arm. "Get off me!"

"Madara-sama said you were seeing things, I'm afraid if your sanity is being called into question as your erm...personal healer I can't allow you to be involved in any sort of village matters," Minoru explained.

"Madara-sama!" Yukiko cried out in protest. "You can't honestly think I'm insane!"

Madara came out of the bedroom, glancing at her.

"Hand Kiyoshi over," he said bluntly however she refused. "Keep her under your watch and see if she sees this fox again. Dammit, give me Kiyoshi,"

"You know what happens if you touch him!" she argued, feeling completely frustrated and not to mention she was angry that Minoru seemed to be strong enough to restrain her. "Leave him alone!"

Madara studied her body language for a moment before looking at Minoru. "Take away her sword, you're related."

"Not enough! He's not a member of the Ginhana clan, not close enough to be..." Minoru grabbed the sword, almost scowling at her. "How did you...?"

"That's that problem solved," Madara grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the bedroom, shutting the door which left Minoru confused and holding Kiyoshi.

"Nothing. I knew it," he whispered, looking down at the sword. "You won't play with my mind but you play with hers? That's what Madara-sama is thinking,"

Moments later the pair emerged, Madara making his way out of the house quickly while Yukiko attempted to follow him.

"Madara-sama! Unseal me! Madara-sama! I am your fiancée and I demand you..." she yelled after him before Minoru grabbed her. "Let go of me, Minoru! I'm not some...insane..."

"Neither me or Madara believe that, we're just worried. Albeit Madara has an odd way of showing he's worried...It's more like...well, anger. But I'm pretty sure he's worried. Plus, when you two get married he'll be able to order you around all the time, how nice will that be?" he asked jokingly before sighing. "Look, I always have my equipment on me so just lemme take some blood later if taking Kiyoshi away doesn't stop this. Please?"

"Why would Madara-sama propose all of a sudden though? That's all I want to know but instead he's avoiding the issue and making another. That fox is real," she told him sternly. "And I want to know why you can hold Kiyoshi,"

"It's just a matter of being able to block out his influence..."

"Which you need Ginhana blood, my blood, to do! I'm related to Kiyoshi Ginhana and it's because of that relation he listens to me," Minoru sighed as she said this, shaking his head and leading her back into the lounge. "Minoru...Talk to me," her voice was tinged with a vulnerable tone all of a sudden. Just moments after having her sword taken and her chakra sealed and Yukiko was feeling both nostalgic and weak at the same time.

"It's nothing. Do you know...why my clan didn't want to cure my father's disease?" he asked her suddenly.

"Hm? You told me a while ago...Your mother had to steal a Kiyomizu scroll and flee the Land of Water in order to save your father's life...Alright, if it'll answer my questions then tell me. Why did the Kiyomizu refuse to cure your father?" she sat down, Minoru still holding onto her arm.

"Because he was a Ginhana. My mother brought disgrace upon all of them, however after healing my father he became angry. He moved away from my mother however she followed him and they'd fight about it a lot. My father was a horrible and jealous man," Minoru explained sadly, shutting his eyes tightly as though to block out the memories. "I hated him and I was glad when they left even though I was just 12. I raised myself from then on and I'm certain they died in the massacre...You may have even known them," he laughed slightly at the thought she could have gotten along with his parents more than he ever had.

"I have a feeling..." she touched her right eye. "Your father was called...Sora Ginhana and your mother was called Kimi, am I right?"

Minoru had been joking before however he was stunned. "Yes...they were."

"Your father blinded me," Yukiko flatly stated, tucking her fringe behind her ear for a moment to reveal her sightless eye. "During an argument with your mother, apparently she'd been talking to other men and he was incredibly drunk. I didn't even know they had a son," she explained with a rather sad tone. "So...you're half-Ginhana,"

"You see why I know that Ginhana have nothing but their foolish pride," Minoru scoffed, letting go of her arm and standing up. "I know you're not insane, Yukiko. But it doesn't change the fact you're burning yourself out with all this work. Why don't we do something fun? Perhaps these hallucinations are stress-induced?" he reasoned. "After such a sad conversation," his amber eyes locking onto her right eye and the faint scar she had. "We both need something fun,"

"Stress-induced hallucinations? Is that even possible?"

"I dunno. But we'll go with it for now,"

* * *

><p>Hashirama leaned back in his chair in the meeting room. All the clan leaders were there discussing which merchants were allowed to set up shop and which weren't.<p>

However the conversation changed pace quick enough to...

"I'm surprised we're all here," Hashirama laughed as soon as the Hatake clan leader said this.

"Yes, we all perhaps drank a little too much last night," the Senju offered. "Although, the village is in very high spirits now,"

Hibiki, who had been sitting in on the meeting, stood up. "Perhaps a small...lunchtime toast is in order then to our newly engaged leader,"

Oh...Madara wanted to sink into the floor. Was getting engaged really worth the embarrassment it was causing him now? Everyone was talking, and he hated everyone even more so when they were talking and add to that they were talking about _him_! On his way to the meeting alone he'd got several presents even Hashirama had given him a box although he highly suspected that the actual contents were home-made pork buns for Yukiko.

"I'm sure there'll be time for celebration later," Madara sighed.

"Nonsense, we're nearly finished up here," Hibiki countered. Madara having to remind himself that he'd need to preferably stay on the good side of the Daimyo but there were few moments in his life where he actually enjoyed drinking and last night had taught him that he shouldn't make a habit of it.

"Well if everything is in order then I guess we have no excuse,"

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Madara got home having came up with every reason under the sun why he'd only have one drink. He was silent as he walked in, hearing voices from the kitchen.<p>

"No! Yukiko, pay attention will you! The...that's it," Minoru ordered with a playful tone. The Uchiha's fists clenched as he sneaked over to the kitchen door. "Oh that's perfect!"

"I'm glad, we've been at it since Madara-sama left, if I hadn't gotten better by now I'd feel pretty ashamed,"

Madara growled before slamming the kitchen door open. "What the hell..." he trailed off, finding the kitchen in a mess. Pieces of rice and tofu scattered, the odd small puddle of oil and the occasional eggshell. Yukiko and Minoru were standing at the stove watching something fry. "Have you done?"

"I had more cooking lessons, Madara-sama, see?" she moved away, grabbing a plate of food and handing it to him. "So when you got in we'd sit and eat and then we could talk,"

"About the engagement, yes I know, it's all I've heard about today," Madara groaned before glaring at Minoru. "Scram, Kiyomizu,"

The healer didn't need telling twice, he quickly made his escape out of the back door.

"I wouldn't be so harsh on him, he's family," Yukiko laughed, turning off the stove. "Atsuko said she'd come over and clean in a minute,"

"What happened to 'he's distantly related to me!'? You change your mind very quickly," Yukiko grabbed her own food and a cup of tea and the pair headed to the dining room as Atsuko came into their home. Atsuko was well-trained enough to politely stay silent and just focus on cleaning the kitchen though, realising the two would have a lot to discuss.

"Yes well, today I found out he's half-Ginhana so I can no longer hold too much of a grudge. I was right all along, he is my responsibility..."

"And the fox? I assume Kiyoshi is with Minoru at the moment," Madara asked, taking a bite of food and realising that perhaps he should consider getting a cook in...He wasn't sure why some of the rice was fine and other bits were hard...

"No I've not seen the fox and yes Kiyoshi is with Minoru. I think taking him from me is a bit cruel. I'm unarmed! What if someone breaks in and attacks us?" she said, he took a moment to control his anger before answering.

"I said the same thing to you a month ago! And apparently I was ruining the idea of peace! Now that you're unarmed you're panicking, it's like a damn addiction you've got," he snapped testily noting the hurt look on her face as he spoke.

"It's not. He's all I've got left of my father's reign as Ginhana Leader," she was quiet, looking to the floor before looking up at him. "Either way, why did you propose to me?"

He had two options here. He could play the 'Because I want to' card however that would suggest he wanted to marry her which would suggest feelings which would make him seem...so very weak in his eyes. Or he could go for the honest route and while it would make her angry, yes, he was sure he could control her.

"I didn't. I asked you if you wanted to help me become leader of this village, you agreed. I was made aware that having a wife would make me a more favourable candi..." Yukiko was glaring at him, looking genuinely angry for the first time in quite a while. It was a hard and icy look and he wondered if it was the look she'd given Kai before she killed him. Madara could have sworn the temperature in the room actually plummeted as well. Her clenched fists trembled. She grabbed her tea, throwing it at him which he easily dodged.

"You scheming fucking bastard!" she shrieked, running out of the room.

"Yukiko, don't you dare!" he was quick to jump up and follow her.

"Stay the fuck away from me! I'm going to stay with Minoru!" the front door slammed shut while Madara stood in the hall. He was angry, yes but quietly confident she'd calm down after an hour or so.

* * *

><p>Minoru stared at Kiyoshi on his desk in his study.<p>

"Hm...What type of..."

"Minoru!" the door to his study opened. "I'm an idiot!" Yukiko seemed...honestly upset which surprised him. And the fact she'd come to his home instead of Atsuko's was a surprise to say the least as well. "No matter how much I tell myself he'll change or that he's a decent person I'm proven wrong by his own selfish actions!" she grabbed the chair at the desk and sat down, her head in her hands. "Bastard."

"Would...What the hell happened?" having lived on his own for about 10 years he was quite unaccustomed to other people just...coming into his house however he was certain this wasn't a normal occurrence either nor was it socially acceptable he recalled...

"We're getting married. Oh yes, we are. But so that he's more a more 'favourable candidate' for being leader of the village! AH! I had this thought that maybe...just maybe, this was his idea of settling down. I never asked for it, hardly even mentioned it but with this peace being established maybe he'd focus on just improving his ties with the Senju, settling down a bit," Yukiko was trembling with both anger and upset. "I shouldn't have presumed anything. No I should have presumed it'd be something like this,"

"Actually I don't think you should have. I think when a man says 'We're getting married' you shouldn't have to think it's anything other than a sign of...I want to say love but that'd be the wrong word in Madara's case...commitment? Loyalty?" Minoru nervously edged to her, patting her back. "Don't cry."

"I'm not going to cry! And this is no time for jokes, Minoru!" she snapped however as she looked up at him her eyes were glazed with tears. "I don't even know why I'm so angry at _him. _I wanna be more angry at myself for...I don't know. Should I have tried to freeze him?"

"Erm, no. But I hear the people do strange things when they're angry," Minoru attempted to comfort her. "Trying to freeze their lover may be one of those things,"

"You speak as though you don't get angry. And I threw a cup of hot tea at him, oh I'll be in trouble for that." Yukiko sighed, resting her head on Minoru's side. "Can I stay here while I cool off?"

"If that's what you want then stay here. And I don't get angry, not really. I've never really got much to get angry at except myself. But I'm fine so..." he stroked her white hair and looked outside of the window. "You told him where you were coming?"

"Yes, why? Is he coming here?" it didn't seem like something he'd do. Madara would sit, content in the knowledge she'd come crawling back to him. And the worst part is she would. She'd probably apologise for her irrational behaviour, crumble like usual. Yukiko didn't want to but at the same time she didn't want to seem so...weak.

"Nope but if my house is set alight tonight I just want someone to know who did it," he chuckled. "Wanna braid my hair and tell me how unfair he's being?"

"No! I'm not a child!" Yukiko seemed angry again and then so downtrodden. "Do you think I'm being childish?"

"I think you're being naïve but hey it's your life, if that's what you want to be then that's fine..."

"Don't do that! How am I being naïve?" she stood up, going to grab Kiyoshi before remembering she wasn't allowed to. "Go on."

"You think every marriage is about love and happiness and being with that person forever? Of course some people marry just for position. Hell, most marriages are about position in life. Your sister did not marry her husband because she loved him, she married him because he was a Daimyo but hasn't Madara, Madara-sama whatever, done enough to prove himself a man who has repeatedly done things beyond what they'd call the call of duty?" Minoru asked before touching her wrist. "What's he done for you?"

"When I was kidnapped by the Senju he mustered his army and came to rescue me. He listened to me when I asked him to consider this treaty. You said he was worried about me earlier. And...Did I tell you how all of this started?" she laughed softly to herself. "I was kidnapped before the Ginhana Massacre and was being held for my information on the Senju when Kouta Azuri tried to rape me and I hit him and ran around the Stronghold trying to find just..._someone _and I got to a room I recognised with my stupid lack of direction and I hid under the bed and it was Madara-sama's room and I stayed in his room that night for my own safety and that's what started it," she explained feeling a strange warmth as she did so. "He was harsh. So very harsh and I thought he was the worst person ever. But then I realised that he can be so vulnerable at time as well. I found out about his family and..." Yukiko sat back down again. "I'm a fool,"

"Yes, yes you are." Minoru patted her head. "But it's okay, I forgive you! You understand what I've been trying to get you to realise?"

"Yes. I didn't misread his actions, I misread him. If you don't mind...I'm going to go back to him, thank you,"

Minoru held his arms out to her. "It's..."

"Called a hug, a gesture you seem to be rather fond of," she laughed loudly. "Sorry, you reminded me of Izuna-kun for a moment. I only hugged him rarely," as if to make up for the lack of hugs she'd given Izuna she accepted Minoru's gesture. "I've got to go and see Madara-sama. Although I may be surprised with what he says..."

* * *

><p>"Madara-sama, I don't mean to pry..." Atsuko came into the lounge. "However, knowing you as I do, you actually...want to marry her don't you?" Madara scowled at her.<p>

"Don't be ridiculous, you heard what I said. This is purely formality for position of...Whatever they're calling it officially," Madara scoffed, going back to reading.

"I believe they're calling it Hokage, Madara-sama," she politely informed him.

"Well whatever, it's what I need to do for the Uchiha and if that means marrying then I'd rather Yukiko than..."

"Raimei?" It wasn't Atsuko had spoken though. Yukiko meekly entered the room. "Atsuko, can you?"

"I'll leave, Yukiko-sama," Atsuko bowed and left.

"You're back then, I'm shocked," Madara mocked her instantly.

"I realise I reacted impulsively, however tell me, Madara-sama, is this as far as your loyalty to the Uchiha goes? To marry a non-Uchiha," she smiled. "And you tell me not to lie. Nearly a year, Madara-sama, I don't need the Sharingan to see through your illusions. You parade this as a selfish thing to do. Your'e a liar,"

Madara snapped his book shut. "Yukiko, I'm an honest man with morals," he smirked as he strode towards her. "Unlike you,"

"Madara-sama, I will only agree if you tell me you actually want to," his jaw clenched. "I thought you had morals; I've admitted my faults quite plainly. If you really wanted a good wife, you'd have chosen...say...Atsuko? But me? Marrying your Council Leader would look strange and you are Madara Uchiha, the man who does anything he wants," she said with raised eyebrows.

Honesty was what she wanted?

"That's all you want?" he said rather sternly after a deep breath. She nodded and moved closer to him, her hands on his chest.

"Please, Madara-sama?" she gently pleaded as she strained up to kiss his neck. "I'm begging you..." his arms wrapped around her.

"Tempting offer," he kissed her forehead. "But, I'm not going to lie to you,"

"You say while lying?" she asked with a giggle. "Madara-sama, remember rabbits? You can have what you want, Madara-sama, you just need to tell me. I wouldn't want to force you to do something you don't want to do..."

"Carry on speaking and I'll strangle you." he warned darkly. "Listen,"

The two were silent for a moment. A growling near them...A deep feral growling.

"Madara-sama, that sounds like a very very big..." he pressed a finger to her lips to silence her before moving it to the seal on her abdomen to remove it.

"Follow me and stay absolutely silent," he hissed as the pair quietly moved out of the house and down the path way. It was night, no one else seemed to be around yet that deep rumble hadn't stopped.

"Kiyoshi?" she whispered. He shook his head.

"I don't trust it right now, you're good enough without it," he quickly realised what he'd said. "And that's not the praise you think it is!" they made their way out of the village and down a path, the noise getting louder and louder.

"Like it's reverberating off of something," she quietly muttered apparently he heard her as he nodded in reply. The pair reached a large cave. "For mining perhaps...?"

The growling was making the ground tremble beneath them and Yukiko felt fearful, a chill creeping up her back. She cleared her throat. The growling stopped for a moment and then grew fiercer.

"Who..." there was loud thumping footsteps. "is there?" the thing began to emerge from the mouth of the enormous cage. While Yukiko was visibly trembling, Madara had his arms folded in a cocky stance. A large, bigger than anything she'd seen, head appeared in the moonlight with orange fur and malevolent blood red eyes.

"I've heard you of," Madara scoffed. "If it isn't the Kyuubi himself."

* * *

><p><strong>Oh Madara you arrogant...<em>Hey...You're precious Yukiko swore. <em>I realise that's a bit out of character but I understand why she did it. Madara is a mean person and she should marry me! _Kai, please give me what you're smoking it sounds amazing. _Judging by your reaction, Iris has been sorted. _Yes, it's not as an issue as you make it out to be. Just some tweaking may be needed, that's all. _God this story is taking a lot of tweaks. _It's necessary for a wonderful story must be edited. _**

**_Question: What do you think of the Kyuubi showing up? He had to eventually. _**

**Next chapter title: Here, Sleep, At the Bottom of Hell**


	50. Here, Sleep, At The Bottom Of Hell

Evening readers, so good of you to come! Welcome to chapter 50. Please remember to review on your way out and tip your driver, Chance. That last part was an Unskippable Reference. Silly me. So yes. 50. :)

Chapter title: Mother Superior by Coheed & Cambra

Disclaimer: Just got an MSN message...Hold on...I don't own Naruto but I do own my characters and plot...What a bizarre message!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty<strong>

**Here, Sleep, At The Bottom Of Hell**

"The Kyuubi?" Yukiko stuttered, taking a step back from the large demon fox. His lips curled to reveal large razor sharp canines.

"Your white haired female is right to show fear, you arrogant Uchiha!" he roared. "You stand there with that smirk on your lips as though you..."

"Shut up." Madara said bluntly. "You can snarl and growl all you want, Kyuubi, but my eyes don't lie. You're a pup," this seemed to anger the fox who raised a front paw, attempting to bring it down but not onto Madara...Onto Yukiko who dove out of the way.

"Ice Style: Raging Barricade!" she was quick enough to protect herself. "Madara-sama!" she yelled angrily before her eyes turned to the fox. "I've never..."

"Behold the Kyuubi, Yukiko, he's a demon fox made of pure evil chakra who resides here apparently, he has a nasty bark but I assure you with me around he has no bite," Madara explained rather coldly before laughing. "After all, I am Madara Uchiha..._The _Madara Uchiha who was first amongst his clan to achieve Mangekyou Sharingan. I'm warning you, attack her again and I won't be so calm," Yukiko pulled herself to her feet.

"Madara-sama, we should head back to the village. Hashirama-kun has dealt with a creature like this before...A demon cat," Yukiko was unsure whether this annoyed Madara or not but the next thing she knew the Kyuubi roared, a thunderous deep and terrifying roar that made even her crouch down and cover her ears. And then all of a sudden...The roar was silenced and the fox simply turned and walked back into the cave.

"Wh-what happened?" she asked nervously, Madara standing in front of her and holding his hand out to her. "Did you do that?" she took his hand and he pulled her up in one fluid motion.

"I was testing a theory while I could. That may come in handy later. Follow me,"

"How did we not realise he was here? He's so close to the village he could...He could strike at any time and all we built would be ruined!"

"Yukiko. Enough. Bijuu are large enough that they can sleep for quite a while, the reason we didn't realise before was because his chakra was suppressed by a slumber and that's also why we only heard him when he woke up. And also, Hashirama doesn't control bijuu, he contains them. To truly control the Kyuubi, well right now only I can. He won't attack the village, he'll wait," Madara quickly explained before glaring at her. "Anything else you want to ask?"

"How do you know all of this?" he rolled his eyes and carried on walking.

* * *

><p>Hashirama sighed, it wasn't like Madara not to show up for a meeting. Yes, Madara was aloof at the best of times but he wasn't negligent of his own duties. He crept into the Uchiha's house with great caution. Oh how he prayed Madara wasn't in. It would avoid a fight at least.<p>

Minoru appeared from the kitchen with a pork bun.

"Oh! Hashirama-san! Erm, they aren't here...They disappeared last night, so I don't know where they are. They had a little spat last night so maybe they've...erm...gone to celebrate their engagement," Minoru gave him a knowing wink.

"If they aren't here, Minoru-kun, why are you? And you stole that, didn't you?" Hashirama pointed to the bun.

"Oh...Well...You see whenever Madara isn't here, I am. It's just...They have nicer food and Yukiko doesn't usually mind in fact, she quite likes me being around," Minoru nervously explained. "I mean, we're..."

"Cousins, she's rather disdainfully informed me of that. I was just worried when Madara-kun didn't show up for a meeting today, that's all,"

"So...Your solution was to break into their house? That may be counted as stalking," the healer quite rightfully pointed out.

"I'll make a deal, I won't tell them you were here if you don't tell them I was here," Hashirama held out his hand, Minoru seemed hesitant and before laughing.

"But...If you weren't here, who'd tell them I was here?"

"Exactly."

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Madara had been walking all night and at last they reached their destination.<p>

The Uchiha Stronghold was as proud and strong as she'd remembered, the pair making their way through the imperial gates. When she looked up at it as the sun began to slowly rise behind it, she missed living there. In that secure place, like being wrapped in a thick duvet on a cold night...

"Keep walking!" Madara barked ahead of her.

"Sorry, I got distracted," she jogged to keep up with him. "Why're we here, Madara-sama?" he didn't bother to answer her instead she was left following him down to the basement of the Stronghold, an area she'd never been to. "It's so cold down here," he knelt down at the far end of the room. "And my land was covered in snow,"

"Here," he lit a torch and handed it to her, she bent down to give him more light. "Thank you." He muttered seeming incredibly solemn. He found a small hole in the stone and lifted up the slab. "Follow me,"

"Down there?" she asked, rather pointlessly as the annoyed look he gave her suggested. It was the first time she'd seen his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan since that night in the rain though. "Your eyes..."

"I'll explain soon,"

They walked down a winding stone corridor in a heavy silence. It was getting colder still although the heat from the flickering flame offered occasional warmth. She couldn't help but wonder what on earth could be down beneath the Stronghold.

And then they reached a room.

"This will be moved soon to Naka Shrine," Madara said, breaking the silence. "It's the treasure of the Uchiha and if you tell anyone..."

"I won't. What does it say?" she moved to his side, seeing a stone tablet. "I can't read it,"

"Just the story of the Sage of Six Paths, I've not read it fully yet. I can't yet," Madara admitted with a rather dry tone. "I need the Rinnegan and then I'll be able to decipher it fully. It takes the Sharingan to read part of it and then having the Mangekyou Sharingan to read more and to completely read it takes the Rinnegan,"

"This is usually the part where I tell you that's a children's story but...Let's say I've learnt better." he took the torch from her, slotting in place next to the tablet. "So why are we here?"

"Because..." he sat down, gesturing her to do the same which she swiftly obeyed. "We need to talk, I didn't want to until we were out of the village however you decided to lose your mind,"

"I did not lose my mind!" she immediately snapped. "I am not losing my mind and I will not lose my mind. I am a perfectly sane..."

"Yuki! Enough. Can you _please _just shut up for a change?" she nervously nodded. "Now, anything I say in this room does not leave this room. This is a sacred room where only Uchiha are allowed. You're going to be my wife, albeit because of my own selfish intentions, so I needed to show you this. I realise you spend all your time working and all you do for the Uchiha and if it were..." he seemed tense and refused to look at her. "I realise that marriage is something most leaders consider and consider doing to make themselves appear more suited for the position and while that's the main reason I'm doing this it by no means I will hand over my pride to you and become some sort of fool. I'm not Hashirama,"

"Madara-sama..."

"That needs to stop as well." he touched her hand. "It's just Madara. Although your cousin needs to realise I know what he says behind my back,"

"Madara, you know the bravest thing a man can do is be honest to the woman he loves,"

"Your father was a damn idiot and, by the sounds of it, a love sick puppy," he scoffed, having heard enough of her 'wisdoms' to realise they all stemmed from her father. "Damn idiot both you and him, I'm not..."

Yukiko leaned forward and gently kissed him. "Madara, listen to me. You're doing this wrong, for you I mean. Talk to me like this," she moved onto his lap, kissing him with more urgency. "And keep calling me Yuki," she laughed as she pulled away slightly to breathe.

"I bring you to the sacred treasure of the Uchiha and you want to have sex. You are going to make a wonderful wife, Yuki," he purred, his back hitting the cold stone floor. He would have complained but she'd never kissed him so fiercely before. She needed him, clawing at his hair, feeling as though her heart would burst.

"Madara, is that a problem?"

"My dear, the only problem is that you are wearing far too many clothes and so am I," he pulled out a kunai and shredded through her shirt and then, in what seemed like a flash they were naked and pressed together, his arms wrapped around her tightly, she sat up, her hands etching out the familiar contours of his broad chest.

"You are far too handsome for your own good, no woman could ever resist your charm," she told him lustfully with a smile. "I was doomed to fall in love with you from the start,"

"Doomed?" he laughed, stroking her cheek. "Yes you were. You seem confused," he purred. "I thought you wanted..." Yukiko sat up, slowing raising herself over his patiently waiting member and then slowly, oh painfully so, sheathed him completely. His breathing became ragged for a moment, his hands moving up her thighs.

Yukiko seemed stunned for a few fleeting seconds before slowly beginning to move her hips, Madara easing her by pulling her down into a more comforting kiss. She was out of her element, yes but by no means out of his. This was another far more intimate encounter however for the first time it wasn't in the haze of alcohol. It was an intoxication of a more noble kind. Yukiko's gentle moans echoing in the fire lit chamber, her body trembling from both pleasure and the cold.

He let her have complete control as well, allowing her to set their tempo which was as gentle but fast as she could cope with. Her body pressed against him even more desperately, she clung to him for heat. "Madara," she whispered in a weak and shaky voice. He laughed so softly as he rolled, laying her gently on her back.

"Let me handle this," he told her, having assumed his position once more and yet he chose to continue to be...well less rough than usual was all he could manage. He needed to hear those loud moans and whimpers of hers which he was quickly rewarded with. As far as that went, Yukiko never disappointed him.

He savoured her arching, trembling form as he took her to a high that belonged solely to each other, even finding himself to be more vocal than usual. And then her body completely tensed, her breathing hitched as she was trapped on the verge of release. She pulled at him, feeling the whole world stopping. She let out a tiny gasp of his name and then finally...both achieved a deeply savoured release.

"You...ruined my top," Yukiko sighed as he rolled off of her. "How am I going to get back to the village without a top?"

"Don't ruin it with your whining already," Madara allowed her to use his outstretched arm as a pillow. "I was actually intending to tell you something here but apparently you can't keep your hands off me," he joked. "If you put a sword to my throat...spent a while disarming me, sealed away my chakra and managed to restrain me with, it'd have to be chains...and asked me if I wanted to marry you, can you figure out what I'd say?"

"I presume you'd first congratulate me on being able to do all of that alone and ask me how exactly I was able to do this now and not at any time before. Then you'd ask me why I'm asking such a ridiculous question because of course you want to marry me, you're Madara Uchiha and you only do what _you _want to do," Yukiko answered with a laugh. "And then I'd thank you for being honest, Madara," she laughed slightly again this time at the use of his name so...intimately. "That may take some time to get used to,"

"And that has earned you the right to my shirt,"

* * *

><p>Minoru felt a new feeling now as he laid in bed that night. He was deep in thought about where Yukiko and Madara had disappeared to. They were probably sorting everything out and wouldn't it be just peachy if they did?<p>

She'd believe whole-heartedly in anything he told her. He'd whisper sweet nothings in her ear and she'd fall and it'd be 'Yes. Madara-sama. Of course, Madara-sama.'

Minoru sat up. His jaws clutched the bedsheets tightly. "Dammit, Yukiko!" he got up, throwing on his clothes and walking out into the night.

It was dark and as summer was fading, the air was quite crisp as well. He told himself he was just going for a walk but even he didn't believe that as his walk magically took him to Madara's house...and Yukiko's of course.

Strange how it already seemed as though everything she had was his. Wait, wasn't it? She'd told him she'd been kidnapped by the Uchiha and if that was true, she had no reason to lie, then everything _was _his. Even the damn clothes off her back were his! He was starting to see where Hisano was coming from. Maybe Yukiko being with Madara _was _a bad idea and he'd let it go on! He convinced himself their relationship was fine and yet just the night before she had been crying in his home.

Well...Not his home. Why hadn't he left yet? Unlike at the Stronghold there were no Uchiha physically keeping him at the village. But now...Oh now he wouldn't leave. He'd sort this out once and for all.

There was a light in the house as he crept in.

"Madara, when are we going to even get married? Please make it before the winter! I don't want to get married in damn snow," Yukiko complained, they were in the bedroom.

He guessed in their usual manner, Yukiko was sitting on the bed while Madara did some work at the desk.

"Your hatred of snow is amusing though. Besides what else would scream your purity than you in snow?" he teased. "We'd better get married soon anyway. The candidates are announced after the winter. We'll get married and show how stable we are together, that should be enough,"

"Madara." It was an unimpressed tone she was using now. "Our relationship has never been a stable one, how exactly are you going to pretend that it is?"

"It's only because you can be very difficult at times," there was a pause. "What?"

"I know I can be difficult and pushy, but you may want to take some of the blame as well. You're a very angry man,"

"Like hell I am!" he snapped before groaning. "That doesn't count,"

Minoru felt a pit in his stomach as he heard Yukiko burst out laughing. It was such a carefree laugh as well, one he rarely heard from his cousin.

"It doesn't count and you know you provoked me!" there was a light thump which caused Minoru to peek through a tiny sliver only to see Madara pinning Yukiko down and kissing her. "Now that was a nasty trick, Yuki," Minoru noticed the tiniest things, her gentle shifts beneath him, the way she looked so natural in just his shirt, that laugh again...And now his own. The low tone in her voice as she whispered to him.

"I'd never be able to trick you,"

He'd seen enough, Minoru skulked away from the house. He walked back to his own home sitting back down in his bedroom, he grabbed a scroll and brush and began to write.

* * *

><p>For the first time since the founding, Yukiko was in a meeting with the other clan leaders. Madara had injured his hand training with Genshi and Hashirama and needed her to take notes. It was also the first meeting they'd attended with Tobirama present. They weren't going to even mention it though.<p>

"Right, so we agree that Ichiraku Ramen will be allowed to set up shop?" Hibiki looked exhausted as he spoke. "Yes?" there was a murmur of agreement in the room. "Right, all that's left is our special little wedding," this seemed to brighten up Hibiki. "Got any news? It's so lovely to see you in here, Yuki-chan,"

"Oh yes! We have set a date, actually. We decided that October 10th would be a lovely date, weather would be more agreeable," Yukiko informed them all with a bright smile. "I'll try and come to more meetings if you wish, Hibiki-sama,"

"Ah, it's the talk of the village, we're all looking forward to it. Meeting adjourned," the clan leaders all began to making their way out when Hashirama caught up with Madara and Yukiko.

"You two seem to be making a lot of progress," Hashirama complimented with a gentle tone. "Mito was actually wondering if you two would like to come to ours for dinner tonight?"

Yukiko looked to Madara immediately as if to say the decision was his however they all knew that wasn't really the case.

"Fine, we'll come to yours in a few hours. We've got work to do first," Madara sighed, noticing Hibiki was watching them carefully. "If that's okay with you, Yuki?" he smirked at her.

"Huh?" She seemed to spot the Daimyo as well. "Oh that sounds great, Madara,"

"Well, I'll see you then," Hashirama made his way past them and headed out of the building.

Yukiko held onto Madara's arm as he wore a smug grin. "The things I do..." he began to say.

"It's worth it and Hashirama-kun isn't so bad. By the way, I'm worried about Minoru so I'm going to talk...Oh my god," her grip in his arm increased suddenly. "Look!"

"Look at..." he trailed off, spotting an apparently irate white haired woman heading for them, trailing behind her was Keiji Osaka and a few servants one of whom was holding a newborn child. "Ah, that may be a problem,"

"Yukiko Ginhana, get your hands off of that vile man right now!"

"A-Auntie Hisano!" Yukiko exclaimed, almost doing as she was told before remembering that she was, in fact, a 21 year old woman of her own free will. "What're you doing here?"

"Considering that it's your birthday next week, I'd say I'm here for that not to mention Minoru told me you're getting _married _and didn't even bother telling me!" Hisano raged. "And to marry him,"

"Excuse me, I'm right..."

"Madara!" Yukiko hissed quietly enough that only he heard her. "She's my angry aunt, yes but she's still a Daimyo's wife and may I remind you that Hibiki is over there,"

He took in a _very _deep breath to quell his anger "Allow me to apologise for my fiancée, she can be clueless as you know. Perhaps you'd like to come to Hashirama's house with us,"

"Actually I was going to go see him myself first. If you're going there later, I'll see you there. And Yukiko, we're going to have a _very _long talk," Hisano warned. "Also, I have a son but we'll talk about him later as well," and with that Hisano curtly turned and left with Keiji and the party following.

"Thank you, Madara, why did you tell her we were going to Hashirama-kun's?" Yukiko asked wearily. "I'd rather have not told her until after we were wed, it saves a lot of hassle,"

"Much like you'd rather not tell me your birthday is next week?" Madara quickly retorted. "What day?"

"Erm, to be honest, Madara, I sort of forgot," she nervously laughed it off. "I've been busy with all of this village business I didn't even remember it was my birthday. It's on Wednesday I'm sorry,"

"You...are a completely..." she slyly gestured Hibiki was still around, his voice quietened to an angry hiss. "Hopeless woman, do you realise that? It's a damn miracle you remember your own name,"

"As I was saying before my aunt...Appeared...I'm going to go and talk to Minoru, he's been acting strangely and I want to see if he's okay," Yukiko explained, letting go of his arm.

"Fine. Be at home in an hour. Oh and...Don't talk to any foxes," he had such a serious expression as he told her this it left her feeling strangely upset.

"Yes, Madara," it still felt strange on her tongue and she couldn't help but blush slightly again.

* * *

><p>Minoru sat writing in his study, having just finished his talk with Hisano. He wondered if he'd done with wrong thing by practically snitching on Yukiko however when Hisano mentioned she was here because of Yukiko's birthday anyway he felt much more content. However he felt a pang of guilt when he heard a gentle knock at the door.<p>

"Minoru?"

Yukiko. His head was immediately in his hands. "Come in,"

"As juvenile as this is about to sound...Did you _tell _on me? To my own aunt! When you know how I feel about her!" Yukiko came on strong when she was fiercely angry. He should have been able to tell that by her apparent courage that appeared strong enough for her to throw tea at Madara. "I was going to come here because I was worried about you acting strange since me and Madara got back and that was 2 weeks ago but now...Now I don't even know what to say to you, there's a line, Minoru, and going behind my back to tell my aunt things crosses that line!" she scolded rather viciously. So there was a leader deep down inside of her...

"You were worried about me?" was all he could manage to draw from her anger.

"Of course I was! You haven't been breaking into my house! Oh you know what, I thought I was going to be here a while but I don't even want to talk to you right now. Now I have to go have a _very _long talk with my aunt, you stupid Kiyomizu! If anything happens that potentially ruins what I've worked so hard for, I swear I'll never forgive you!" and with her piece said Yukiko stormed back out and Minoru almost felt like rushing to the nearest shrine and praying that nothing...NOTHING bad did actually happen.

* * *

><p><strong>Kagami! 10th October? <em>Funny thing, it's sort of to do with just referencing the Kyuubi attack but also it's Kay-chan's birthday then. <em>Oh I see. I'm glad Hisano is back, I quite like her. _Me too! Angry aunt. I'm afraid this will have to be short. I've got to go back to cleaning. Hidan's staying at the hideout and...well. _Hidan? _Never mind, Kai, question!_**

**Question: Hisano...Yes or no? **

**Next Chapter: Your Sincerest Apologies**


	51. Your Sincerest Apologies

****Evening one and all. :) I was listening to Down in the Dark by Avantasia during the first part of this chapter. Snowpeak from Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess in the middle and Blowing Out the Flame by Avantasia at the end. Aren't I a musical god? No. No I'm not. Anyway read!

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: You don't want to hear this. But I don't own Naruto but own my plot and characters, do you? Well...I don't. -.-

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-One<strong>

**Your Sincerest Apologies**

Yukiko was immediately ushered into a room alone with Hisano as soon as she got to Hashirama's. She wasn't particularly keen on being separated from Madara either.

Hisano sat down with her usual stern expression and for a moment Yukiko felt like she was looking at her mother.

"I honestly don't know what is going on in your head anymore. You've been so manipulated that you stand by his side like a needy little lapdog and wait for him to throw you a damn bone," Hisano began as she meant to go on. Angrily. "Your father would be so disappointed,"

"What? He'd be disappointed I'm with a man who signed a treaty for peace in the Fire Country? Did we know the same man? Because my father would have gladly given me away to a man who wants peace for his people!" Yukiko had originally planned to stay quiet and let Hisano get everything out of her system however she was willing to argue back as soon as her father was mentioned.

"A man who wants peace for his people! That's what you think that monster wants! He'll ally himself with the Senju and then tear them apart when they least expect it! A man like that only wishes for war!" Yukiko did something bold. She stood up and turned to leave. "Where the hell do you think you're going? Sit down right now!"

"No. I'm not going to stand here and be yelled at by you about the man I've chosen to marry. Because I just realised something. I'm 21 and technically still Leader of the Ginhana despite there being only 2 of you. So I refuse to sit here and be scolded. And before you even bother saying it, this has nothing to do with my mother's influence over me. I don't know what happened between you and my mother nor do I care. She wasn't perfect but what mother is? She cared very deeply for me. What more could I ask for?" Yukiko said rather calmly before adding. "Also, I believe partly the reason mother acted so bad after father's death is because you pushed her over the edge when she desperately needed support. So you're also to blame for her so called insanity," with her own piece said for a change, Yukiko opened the door and quickly made her way back to Hashirama, Mito and Madara.

"That was quick," Hashirama commented before frowning. "Or not."

The door to the room slammed open.

"How dare you. I am your aunt and I have done nothing but slave over you and try and insure you live the best life possible! I love you like you're my own daughter and you throw it back in my face!" Hisano shrieked. "You spoilt little..."

"Shut up." Madara was swift to cut her off. "If you continue to talk to Yukiko like she's some dog I'll deal with you _personally _whether you're the wife of a Daimyo or not, I don't care. Don't you come into someone else's home, scream at my fiancée and think I'll sit here and just allow it. I suggest you leave," Madara stood up to face her, Sharingan spinning. "Now."

Hisano stood strong there, staring straight into his eyes. "I am the wife of the Hot Water Daimyo and you will treat me with respect, Madara Uchiha. I could muster up a force to flatten this village if I so wished,"

"Is that a threat?" Madara spat. Yukiko looking to Hashirama for assistance however it didn't seem like the Senju was going to interrupt.

"Not a threat, Madara. A fact." Hisano's voice was filled with a tone Yukiko hadn't heard in years...

"Hisano, please leave," Yukiko felt almost as though she was pleading. "Either way you have no influence on me. Not as a family member anymore. I'll get married regardless. You can claim that Madara is this, that and the other however I actually recall you upset my father by marrying a Daimyo so you have no high ground here,"

"That was completely different and you know the rules. Do not talk about family matters in front of others," her aunt hissed. "Why couldn't you have just married Hashirama-kun like you wanted to?"

Yukiko felt a wave of shock for a moment when she said this, looking back at the Senju however it was Mito who ended up talking.

"Hisano-hime, leave before I get the Fire Daimyo involved," she warned sternly. "You can take up this matter with him if you really need to."

Hisano went to speak before turning and leaving.

* * *

><p>A few hours later and Madara and Yukiko were walking home in silence. Madara occasionally glanced at her, eyes filled with a bitter anger. She couldn't stand it any longer.<p>

"I was 10 years old. Are you going to hold that against me?" she asked before sighing. "Madara, I'm also very sorry about my aunt. She's...passionate which is something I can't fault her on but she gets carried away,"

"Hashirama? Of all the people in the world." Madara scoffed, his eyes turning skyward. "When you talk to him about your childhood do you ever mention it?"

"I don't! He does. It's rather embarrassing, not to mention you _can't _hold it against me. You were engaged when I met you," she was quick to point out, remembering her first meeting with Raimei.

"Forcefully and there was no way in hell I was going through with it. Besides, I don't have a problem," this surprised and confused her.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm rather glad. Since he mentions it it's clearly something that plays on his mind," Madara wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "And you're going to be mine. I win. Again. And your aunt is one of those headstrong women that I detest and now my mind is wandering back to Raimei. They both think because of their rank they deserve to inherit everything,"

"You worked for everything your whole life, I can see why that'd annoy you. But I inherited my clan," Yukiko countered.

"You did and at first that pissed me off most about you. That and you were hell bent on the idea of bargaining with me when it was completely useless to do so," he bluntly stated before smirking. "And you still insist on bargaining with me when its completely useless to do so...Your aunt is going to be a real pain,"

"Hisano has always been a pain. You realise it's a month and 10 days before our wedding, don't you? I've not even made any arrangements yet, have you?"

"Yes. It's why the Uchiha Tablet is being moved to Nara Shrine which is where we'll be getting married. And sake, I'll treat you by ordering the best I can find," Madara laughed slightly. "You can return the favour by learning to cook...properly."

"I can cook shark fin soup, which...I find difficult to find around here due to a lack of sharks and omelette and fried rice. I am trying though. I think I may start training with Atsuko," she announced quite suddenly, as though the thought had only just popped into her head. "She's becoming a bit of a recluse and I'd like to do something to boost her confidence,"

"If I were you, I'd leave her alone," Madara advised, sounding quite honest which confused her for a moment before she remembered that he knew Atsuko far better than she ever had. She smirked.

"You know something embarrassing about my childhood, tell me something about yours,"

"No. You don't need to know anything about it," she pretended to look hurt.

"I thought we were having an honest marriage! Clearly my soon-to-be husband can't tell his poor soon-to-be wife, who he hand picked no less, anything about when he was young! And I thought you loved me!"

"I do but..." he stopped what he was saying immediately. Yukiko studied his face as his look of shock turned to one of anger. "YUKIKO!" she quickly ran down the path.

"Forgive me, Madara! I couldn't help myself!" she called behind her as Madara gave chase.

"You...little! Dammit! Yukiko! Grow up!"

* * *

><p>"I've never been this far west before..." Madara commented, taking in the landscape around them. "Tch, I suppose it'd be useless now asking if this is what you really want?" he glanced at Yukiko standing beside him.<p>

"I've always spent my birthday here, you can tell me I'm trapped in the past later, this is what I want,"

* * *

><p><em>"Your birthday is next week, you realise that now I have to be a good fiancé and offer you anything you want, don't you? The Daimyo will ask what I got you and I'm a clan leader, I'm expected to be lavish under these circumstances," Madara told her as he came into the kitchen during one of her cooking sessions. "So, Yuki, what do you want?" <em>

_"Hm? Anything I want? If we pack our bags and leave now, I can have what I really want on my birthday," he laughed at this which caused her to turn and look at him puzzled. "Madara, I'm serious. If you want to give me what I want we'd have to leave now," _

* * *

><p>Which was why the pair had ended up in the Land of Water on a north west island. He turned to see the raging sea behind him but found that the snow had covered it from even his view.<p>

"It'll only take an hour from here. Madara?" Yukiko touched his hand. "You're cold,"

"Really? Because there's nothing here! Just snow!" he snapped. "Why here?"

"You keep asking me that and you've not guessed yet, have you?" she asked, leading him down a small path on well trodden snow. He was growing annoyed now. Her footsteps were light, they didn't make a sound as she stepped on the snow whereas he wasn't yet used to forming his chakra in a way in which the thick blanket of snow wouldn't crunch beneath his footsteps. He heard a low growling nearby however Yukiko didn't seem to react.

"Just wolves, Madara, they'll be hunting the lemmings and rabbits," she informed him casually. "They have no trouble hunting in winter they're built for it, they'll be fine,"

"I'm sure they will be, feasting on our carcasses. You lived here, didn't you?" now she did react, her grip on his hand tightened.

"I did. This is the northern island of the Ginhana Settlement. You should see it in the winter, or rather, you don't," she joked as though she'd made it countless times. "Actually you're here to meet some important people to me,"

He would have pointed out all the people important to her on this island were dead however...It was her birthday and he wasn't sure whether reminding her what had happened here was a good idea when they were heading _there _anyway.

It was the strangest thing actually. When they reached the settlement, the snow seemed to be less constant and became slow, drifting through the air effortlessly. He could see now as well which eased his anger slightly.

"Welcome to my home. This is it. This is where I lived as Leader of the Ginhana," she walked slowly down the wide path leading to a large house at the end. "And that is my house which is where the aforementioned important people are. You seem surprised,"

"No one's even bothered looting here, it's been deserted for months now," she was mildly surprised by his suggestion.

"Madara, to loot here would be more effort than it's worth. You'd need boats and enough men and you'd need to know these lands well. No...Ginhana Settlement will be forever frozen over by time. It'll rest in peace, like the people here will," she explained with a solemn tone and a weary sigh. "In a way, the Ginhana found peace at last just like my father wanted,"

"You realise birthdays are usually a happy occasion for a woman, don't you? It seems to me you've come a very long way to be depressed," she shook her head.

"I...This is the first time in a very long time I've wanted to be here, come on, you're getting rather cold. It's warmer in my house," she led him down into the large house.

"It is a wonder you people didn't all die before now," he muttered, trembling. "You've never dressed like someone who lived somewhere as cold as this," he noted some fire wood in a fireplace and with a wave of his hand it ignited. "Before you ask, I can only do that to wood,"

Yukiko shook off her cloak and laughed. "Must be handy when fighting Hashirama-kun. See? I cleaned up when I was last here just in case. It's like I never left," she grabbed a thick blanket and threw it to Madara.

"These better be damn important people, I don't want my death from this cold to be for nothing," he growled softly glaring at her before realising she was frowning again. It just wasn't his day. "Go on. Who are these important people?"

Yukiko didn't say anything, she opened the back door and gestured him to look outside. He was stunned. If he hadn't been such a stone hearted man, the sight would have made him tear up for sure. His eyes quickly did the calculations. 702. There were 702 graves. One for every single Ginhana who had died in the massacre and then two more. "I thought you said no one had come here,"

"I did. It was my other reason for coming here when I assassinated the Water Daimyo. Every man, woman and child...Madara, meet the Ginhana. And at the very front here," she pointed to two graves further forward than all the others. "Those are my parents. Actually, funny thing, that way," she pointed to the right now. "That's where Minoru's parents are buried. He won't come to see them though, only me," He had to admit, at this point he felt as though he had something in his throat. And a feeling he hadn't felt in quite a while. Guilt. "I wanted you to meet my parents,"

"The legend, Isamu Ginhana," he muttered, following her to her parents gravestones. "Ritsuko Yuki,"

"Izuna-kun had actually heard of her. She used ice and poison in her attacks like I do. She only died a year and a half ago. I don't know how. One day I just found her lying dead in her room. Perhaps...she died of a broken heart at last or maybe she poisoned herself with something even I was unable to detect," she explained as she crouched down. "I'm sorry if you think I'm depressing myself. I think it's something important and I realise I shouldn't have dragged you away from your work to show you this however when you told me I could have anything this was the only think I wanted. I want to come here every year and I want to see them all again and remind myself why peace is so important. We sought to find peace only to find death instead. If war continued, this could have happened to so many more. It's very...sobering," Yukiko bowed her head and shut her eyes, muttering something in a dialect he couldn't quite understand properly. He realised she was crying though. He wondered if he'd cry for the Uchiha if he was in the same situation. However he found the entire massacre of his clan a difficult thing to imagine as paranoid as he was that it would happen.

"It's okay," she looked up at him. "If you want to come here every year, I mean. You can think of me as not even being a decent human and in a way you'd be right. I proposed to you for the most selfish reason. You seem okay with it now but my eyes don't lie, you're not. What would your father say if he knew you were in this position?" he asked her, not even making eye contact with her. His eyes scanned all the graves.

"He'd say to follow what I believe to be right. When people die they regret the things they didn't do more than the things they did. I think if I didn't marry you, I'd regret it for the rest of my life," she straightened up. "Perhaps, Yukiko Uchiha doesn't sound so bad after all,"

"When I take a look at this place, I can see why they'd call you Snow Child," she held onto his arm suddenly with a tearful smile.

"Come on, I think the fire has warmed the room up enough. And thank you, if you want to get me something to show the Daimyo that...I don't know you were taking me away on a wonderful romantic trip to alleviate the stress of the wedding...You could get me something useful. Like a new sword?"

* * *

><p>Minoru had been so thankful the couple had gone away for two weeks and a few days. He actually lived in their house during that time. Something about being there made him feel much more at ease than in his own home. Although he nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the front door opening in the middle of the night. He immediately leapt out of the window, falling to the ground with a painful thud.<p>

"What the..." he heard someone growl from behind before there was a flash and he was pulled to his feet. "You're a very disturbed man, Kiyomizu," Madara snarled.

"You can ask Yukiko, it's just a bad habit," the healer managed to stutter. "You can't kill me, we'll be family soon,"

"Why would that mean I can't kill you?"

"I'm so tired!" Yukiko exclaimed from the bedroom behind them. "Madara...come to bed...please?" he seemed to weigh out his options before decided he couldn't deny that pleading tone of hers and let go of Minoru. "Thank you," she purred as he came into the room.

* * *

><p>Yukiko stared up at the blue sky with clouds rolling across. She was lying on a patch of grass while the Uchiha dealt with the Nara Shrine. They were getting married the next day, Madara having taken her everywhere with him since they had got back from the Land of Water. His excuse to other people was that he wanted to make sure she was safe. His excuse to her, which she presumed was the honest reason, was that Minoru hanging around her all the time was annoying him. She couldn't help but think her time would be better spent doing work though.<p>

"You don't have to look so bored," Aoi advised, looming over her suddenly.

"Oh! Aoi-kun! I'm not bored, I was thinking," she lied with a smile before sitting up. "Are they nearly done?"

"Yes, we're just hiding the tablet now,"

"But I thought you needed the Sharingan to read it. Why would you need to hide it?" she asked, watching a large group of Uchiha standing guard at the Shrine.

"It's very precious, that's why. And say someone found a way to decipher it. The secrets of the Uchiha would be left open for all and that's something we'd rather avoid," Aoi explained, sitting down beside her. "Yukiko-san, I think Madara-sama wants to talk to you," he gestured towards Madara who was ordering Uchiha round left, right and centre occasionally the leader would glance over at her as though he was making sure she was still there or...

"No. He's checking where Minoru is. He's gotten very edgy about my cousin, I don't mind. It gives me some peace," Yukiko laid back down as Aoi was called over. "This...is my last day as Ginhana." She whispered.

"And to think you could have ended up a dog," Madara sneered as he appeared next to her, staring down at her. It was quite the ominous site, his arms folded as he scowled. "And then I'd have had to kill you, it's not like you to be so lazy,"

"I've been very tired, I'm sorry," Yukiko finally stood up, stretching.

"Madara-sama!" Aoi yelled, Madara immediately making his way into the shrine.

"I know you're there." Yukiko said flatly, looking behind her. "What're you doing?"

"Nothing, not really. Is he gone?" a tiny voice asked her; the bushes rustling slightly.

"Would I be talking to you if he wasn't? You'd make an awful shinobi! What are you doing to make so much noise?" she leaned into the bush to see Minoru crawling awkwardly on the ground and looking up at her with a wide-eyed look of amazement.

"Technically, I am a shinobi. And because when does a healer ever need to crawl around in bushes to avoid an insane possessive Uchiha?" he snapped. "By the way, our sake situation...?"

"Your sake situation," she warned him in a low hiss. "This is your fault,"

"Oh that's not true. It's yours. So...should I do anything to the sake?"

"No. One day won't be a problem. If he catches on, it'll be a problem," Yukiko sighed and shook her head. "Yes?"

"I agree that perhaps one day won't be a problem however...he will catch on...Not _if _he catches on. I mean he's not stupid or blind although, he was both when I first met him," this earned Minoru a smack round the back of his head. "Right, I'll keep my mouth shut,"

"Just...Wait a few days after the wedding. I don't want to spoil everything suddenly,"

"My cousin, you have a very confused notion of what this will do. I doubt it'll spoil anything," Minoru advised her before he realised Madara was heading back out of the shrine. The healer darted back into the bushes. "Good luck! Not just with him now but I mean good luck for tomorrow as well, all the Uchiha around I doubt I'll be able to hide. Will you be okay?"

"Of course, I'll be free," she laughed as she walked away from him and over to Madara while Minoru pondered on the ominous words she'd spoken.

Free...? What was trapping her right now exactly?

* * *

><p><strong>So...That was a weird chapter, wasn't it, Kagami? <em>Oh sorry I was drinking some apple juice. What? <em>Never mind. We're not listened to here anyway. We're here for Kay's own amusement. _Hey! Did you hear Kay's on DeviantArt now? _She has been for a while now. BlackYoite. She'll be uploading little side-stories from A Fresh Snowfall once a week. _Side-stories? _Parts that were edited out, parts that will never make it in the story, things like that. _Interesting. _**

**_Question: What's trapping Yukiko? _**

**Next chapter: Come Catch The Rabbit!**


	52. Come Catch The Rabbit!

****Forget your troubles, come on, get happy! I've been in a House mood lately. I've also been extremely tired and thinking about these next few chapters. Please don't hate me, k? By the way! This is the last chapter of this arc. Next arc! His Yukiko of Duty and Loyalty. More about that from Kai and Kagami later.

Chapter Title: Mother Superior by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: Yes...Get Happy! Because I don't own Naruto but own my characters and plot!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Two<strong>

**Come Catch The Rabbit!**

Yukiko was confused. The day of her wedding started as all other days began. She woke up in the arms of Madara. She had a sick feeling take over however she held it down. It wasn't from him anyway and nor did it concern him. Stress from the wedding perhaps.

She slowly slid out of his embrace, having learned the delicate art of getting up without disturbing the Uchiha. She replenished Kibou's hay, food and water before having a bath and by the time she was done, he was waking up.

She wondered if the wedding was really necessary, the pair were in a very fine routine and if she recalled, her parents had the same routine.

Ever since she'd gone to the Ginhana Settlement she'd had persistent thoughts of her parents, actually. It'd brought up feelings she'd rather have forgotten and not to mention it reminded her of her mother's 'downfall'. And would that happen to her as well? If Madara were to be killed in some war would she react as badly?

"I have to go on ahead," Madara stretched as he got up. She knew what was coming next. "If that damn Kiyomizu comes anywhere near you I'll rip him limb from limb,"

"I'll be getting ready to marry you, Madara, even if he shows up here, I'll pay him no heed," she promised with a small smile. "Can I ask for a request?"

He took a moment to answer her, watching her carefully. "What?"

"Can you smile?" Yukiko asked rather boldly. "Please?"

The Uchiha leader sighed before looking at her and smiling quite honestly. "I doubt you'll need to bother with white make-up, you're pale enough as it is," he joked before quickly leaving.

"Hey! I can't help it!" she poked her head out of the bedroom door. "You're mocking a serious condition!" however she burst out laughing as she heard his own laughter as he left.

"Well aren't you chipper this morning?" a voice thick with jealousy asked her. Yukiko groaned.

"No sooner is my soon-to-be husband out of the door, you show up! Minoru, get a life!" she scolded. "I'm getting married, I'm expected to be chipper,"

"That's not you, you don't care about marriage...Well, not that I know of. So why?" he climbed through the window, glaring at her. "You said something strange..." Yukiko placed a hand over her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment. "Yesterday that you'll be free," he ignored her strange behaviour and moved closer to her. "Free from what?"

"It doesn't matter now, leave! I can sense Atsuko and a few other Uchiha women approaching!" Yukiko snapped urgently. He looked annoyed before quickly making his escaped.

"Yukiko-sama?" Atsuko called from the front door. The Ginhana grabbed one of Madara's shirts, putting it on after discarding her towel.

"Come in,"

* * *

><p>It was a bitter-sweet feeling for Madara, this entire wedding. It was a needless charade for the sake of the Daimyo, who wasn't even going to be there. There was a large celebration at the village afterwards though, and he was going to be at that.<p>

He walked into his office where he'd kept his black kimono for the ceremony. He sat behind his desk first, leaning back on his chair and taking off his chain to look at his locket, popping it open and staring at the picture of Izuna and Madara before flicking the glass and seeing his parents.

He had to do this. He had to get the Daimyo's favour. If he didn't it'd just be something else he'd failed at. If he became leader of the village, the Uchiha would be safe and their safety meant more to him than his own life now after all he still felt like a shell. It was that one thing he was missing in his life, his brother.

"Madara-sama," it was Genshi standing at the door. "Hope you don't mind my intrusion but you may wish to hurry up,"

"Genshi, what's the most important thing to you?" Madara asked suddenly, it surprised Genshi to say that least. Madara never took much of an interest in his private life.

"My wife, of course and my daughter," Madara looked quite surprised himself now.

"You've got a wife and child?"

"I do, sir," he chuckled. "My daughter is 6 in a few weeks. Why do you ask?"

"Hn. It doesn't matter, I was just curious," Madara sighed, getting up. He took his shirt off. "I need to get ready, you're right,"

"Would you like me to go on ahead?" for a moment he thought he heard Izuna's voice and stared at Genshi for a few seconds longer than he should have. "Madara-sama?"

"Hm? Yes. Go on ahead,"

* * *

><p>"He'll flake," Hibiki sat down with Hashirama, overlooking the still under construction village on a mountain north of it. "He will,"<p>

"You think he doesn't care about Yukiko?" Hashirama asked with a curious expression. "I'm afraid I have to disagree, he'll get married to her,"

"Ha! It's not that he doesn't care about Yukiko, it's that he cares about his pride more. This would be an admission of actual feelings. Did you know last time I spoke to him he thought falling in love was a choice?" the Daimyo asked, stifling a laugh. "They're prone to awful arguments at times from what I've heard,"

"Well, I personally think that's a good thing. She challenges him from time to time. Where would Madara-kun be without a challenge?" Hashirama stared up as several birds flew over them. "When were you going to tell us about the rebels in the East?"

"In a few days, they pose no harm and they'd have dampened the celebrations if I'd mentioned them. Several Daimyo have expressed an interest in having the same sort of system as us, by the way. However they first need to know if this works, I'll be keeping an eye on Our Dear Loose Cannon," Hibiki sighed shaking his head. "He has no idea how important he is," Hashirama laughed at this.

"He thinks he knows how important he is, his arrogance knows no bounds,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko stood at the shrine in a kimono as white as fresh snow and wondered how she managed to end up standing in the Land of Fire, next to Madara Uchiha who was looking stunning in his black kimono, and was about to get married. It didn't...feel real.<p>

She felt caught in a sudden shocking wave for a moment and she was quite sure why but the seriousness of the situation had just smacked her.

She didn't even really hear what was going on around her, it was a surge of self-doubt and what had she been doing this morning? Most important morning of her life and she'd been making jokes!

Wait...Drink...Nine glasses of sake to be shared.

_Focus! Dammit, Yukiko! _She viciously told herself. However it felt like leaping into one of the lakes in her country...A sudden rush as her body felt dipped in that ice..._No. No. I can't focus, am I even breathing? What's happening? Is it over? _

The next thing she realised, she was sitting on the steps of the shrine next to Madara.

"What are we doing?" Yukiko asked him so quietly.

"You asked to sit down after the ceremony, we've only been here for 20 minutes," Madara told her looking at her in such a strange way...She'd never seen that look in his eyes before. "I needed you to look slightly less dazed before we face the Daimyo,"

"Did we get married?"

"Yes," he took a deep breath in. "You're doing this wrong, for you, I mean," he repeated his words to her exactly, his arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. "Did you know Genshi has a wife and daughter?"

"Hm? Haya and Aiko, yes. They're both lovely," he seemed disappointed with this answer. "You didn't know? It's fine. He isn't very public about it, I only know because of that little challenge I set myself to memorise all the names of the people in your clan,"

"Keep that up. If you focus on the social parts of the Uchiha and I do all the practical things, that should keep everything simple," he sighed. "That's the proper role for a wife,"

"Oh that's so strange," she muttered however he managed to hear her.

"We'll have to go face them all at some point, my wife," he stood up and pulled her up with him and in a single fluid moment his lips caught hers. "Now you just look dazed again,"

"I have a lot on my mind. Not about the wedding, well there was that but that's over now. And now we can focus on everything else. Or rather I can focus on everything else," she frowned and looked away from him. "I'm sorry, I feel really tired,"

"Then eat these and don't think about it," Madara placed something into her hand. She uncurled her palm and stared at three tiny black orbs.

"And these are...?"

"Military ration pills, they'll give you a good enough energy boost that you can get through the night," she swallowed them down, needing no further explanation. "Let's go get changed and then I can rub this in Hashirama's damn smug face,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat down a little way off as Madara spoke to the Daimyo, she heard that rustling behind her again.<p>

"Minoru...That's just ridiculous," she whispered. "You're pushing your luck turning up here,"

"The whole village is here, blood please," she placed her arm in the bush as he quickly drew blood from her. "Thank you. No more drinking, okay?" he hissed.

"I won't. Even with these pills I feel sleepy," She admitted with a yawn. "Apparently there'll be fireworks later by the hill," however she quickly realised Minoru had scampered away and before she knew it, Hibiki was walking over to her. She swiftly got up and bowed to him. "Hibiki-sama, thank you for providing funding for this..." he held out a gold envelope to her. "A gift?"

"Of course, it's customary to give the bride and groom a money gift, I'd take it quick if I were you. I'd rather not get caught in the cross-fire," Yukiko did as she was told before frowning.

"Cross-fire?" before he could answer her, he walked away.

"This is ridiculous," Hisano spat from behind her. "You actually went through with it. And you're so...proud of yourself,"

She actually hadn't been until her aunt mentioned it. "Auntie, my husband is a very handsome and powerful man. Is there something I should be ashamed of?"

"He's an Uchiha,"

"A strong clan, no doubt he has good blood,"

"He's a madman,"

"Who'd ruthlessly protect me with his life if he must,"

"He's addicted to war,"

"And he'd tear down armies for me. Do you see how fruitless this is? I am very much in love with Madara Uchiha and nothing you can say will change my mind on that. I'm done being a Ginhana," Yukiko told her callously. "I can never be what my father wanted,"

"You can be what _I _wanted though," Hisano was quick to counter. "Your father's memory rests with me and you,"

"No, it doesn't. He's dead, Hisano, he's been dead for 6 years. I know you miss him and I do too but...wallowing in his memory is not what he'd have wanted. Don't you get it? He'd have wanted this," she gestured to the large celebration. "Happiness and peace and me moving on with my life, excuse me, I need to go speak with my _husband_," Yukiko walked away from her aunt with a tiny smile. Hisano seemed too annoyed to even protest. Madara glanced back at Yukiko as she approached her. He had been talking to Hashirama and Mito while noting that Tobirama was a little way off, glaring scornfully at the newly weds.

"Yuki-chan, you look exhausted!" Hashirama exclaimed. "How wonderful is this though? The fireworks will be starting soon. I won some money from the Daimyo as well,"

"Were you making bets again?" Mito warned sternly, her green eyes narrowed. "Well?"

"A little one with the Daimyo, who seems genuinely happy to have lost," Hashirama defended before turning around to Hibiki.

"It was my idea, Mito, and what an impressive day. I'm very pleased with you, Madara-kun, you've shown great maturity. Keep this up and you could be a wonderful leader," Hibiki said his piece and left to go talk to another clan leader while Madara smirked.

"Hashirama, seems like I've made more progress," Yukiko rolled her eyes and Mito sighed.

"Not this again," the Uzumaki muttered. "For once can you two talk about something that isn't point-scoring?"

"Yes, you've matured however do remember I've been married longer than you," Hashirama countered with that polite tone of his. Apparently Mito was being ignored.

"I could turn that and say I didn't rush into marriage,"

"Fireworks," Yukiko whispered, hearing the others behind them saying they were starting soon.

"Hn, come this way. We'll finish this later, Hashirama," Madara promised before leaving with Yukiko. They walked through the village alone in silence before up hidden stone steps up the mountain.

"Why're we coming up here?" she asked, as they stood at the top of the mountain. The dark night had completely swallowed their surroundings, not even the light from the village doused them as they sat down on the cliff edge. Madara still not answering her. "It's very dark,"

"I can see fine."

A sudden whistling filled the silence and then an explosion of bright red, tiny glistening embers floating down. More whistling sounded as more fireworks burst into the sky. From where they were sat they had a perfect, unspoiled view of the sky.

"We never had fireworks in my land, it's much too cold for it," Yukiko commented quietly. "But whenever I came to see the Senju in the spring, there'd be a fireworks display,"

"Hn, you never came in the summer?" she shook her head.

"Much too hot, as you know, I can't take the heat. I apologise for being so distant, there's something that's been playing on my mind," she admitted, placing her head in his shoulder. "I won't burden you with it,"

"Tch, you say that but I assure you in a few days you'll come running to me and we'll have a tedious conversation about whatever it is and you'll ask me to be polite," Madara scoffed. "Fireworks are useless. They fly up into the sky and then just explode. A tiny flash, that's all. You waste money on getting everything together for a tiny explosion that doesn't even hurt anyone," she wasn't at all surprised that Madara didn't appreciate the glistening embers and colours that dazzled many. He saw it in a much more practical way whereas she appreciated it in a more artistic form. She loved being swept up in a moment as she watched the various colours and how the wind caused them to slowly drift across as they fell. It reminded her for snow in a way...However this was much more beautiful.

"Madara...Can I lie down?" she yawned, he didn't reply however he did move back slightly giving her room to rest her head on his lap. "Thank you, oh...I will talk to you about it eventually but why ruin our wedding night?"

"Can't imagine we'll be consummating this marriage tonight in the sorry state you're in unless you sleep through it," Madara chuckled, his hand ruffling her hair slightly.

* * *

><p><em>"I had another bad dream," a 6 year old Izuna told Madara, waking him up. "Nii-san," <em>

_"Hm, Izu, are you crying?" _

_"Yea! I had a bad dream! Weren't you listening?" Izuna snapped, wiping tears from his eyes. "Nii-san!" _

_"Yes. Yes, Izu, come here," he moved aside on his futon and allowed his younger brother to lie down, his head on Madara's chest. _

_"Mm. Mada! Do it." he nudged his brother who groaned before gently scratching Izuna's head. "That's better, thank you...Thank you, Nii-san," _

* * *

><p>A particularly loud bang from a large firework brought Madara out of his thoughts. He wondered how Yukiko could, seemingly, sleep through the noise with ease.<p>

As a kunoichi, she surely couldn't be deeply asleep. She must have had some awareness of her surroundings at least!

"Yuki..." he nudged her slightly and got nothing. He frowned, this clearly meant he'd have to carry her home. Yet he had found her behaviour that day had been very worrying. She'd been in almost a daze which was very unlike her. As he started thinking about it, carrying her back bridal style, he realised she'd been like this for about a week and yet she'd specifically said it wasn't about the wedding.

As he placed her in bed, deciding that her kimono didn't seem like an appropriate thing to sleep in, he noticed a small bruise on the inside of her arm. If she hadn't been so pale he may have missed it but he saw a definite pinprick as well. He debated whether he should wake her up and demand she tell him what was going but his own sleepiness got the better of him and he decided that it was be a discussion best left to the morning.

* * *

><p>"You must be pretty upset, I didn't see you around," Aoi told his sister, attempting to be comforting however in his blunt tone it was hard to be.<p>

"That should have been me. That was _my _wedding! She stole it from me!" Raimei argued before growling and looking away from him. "She stole my husband!"

"Now now, there's no need to be irrational. It's our Leader's choice at the end of the day and hopefully she'll be a good wife," Aoi deduced however this didn't ease his sister's anger at all.

"No she won't. I'm going to make her pay, Nii-san, I'll make her wish she'd never even touched Madara-sama with her filthy Ginhana hands,"

* * *

><p><strong><em>Oooooh! Raimei is piiiiised. <em>Kagami, that's immature. But yes she is. And she shouldn't be so mean about Yukiko. _Kai, you're post-story love for Yukiko scares me. I hear coughing from Itachi's room, can we hurry this up? _New arc! Looking forward to it? _That the question this chapter? _Nope. It'll be based on Pearl of the Stars by Coheed btw. **

**_Question! Happy Raimei is back? Kay-chan was surprised that so many people hate Hisano. _**

**Next Chapter: Pray To God He'd Let Her Rest. **

**Btw. During their wedding you should listen to the House version of Get Happy. **


	53. Pray To God He'd Let Her Rest

****Riddle me this now and riddle me that? OH! Let's see how many people read this bit. If/When you review answer this riddle for me. :) "Once you have me, you'll want to share me but if you share me, I'll be gone. What am I?" Btw. Coheed and Cambria are 3 songs into their next album! You know how happy that makes me?

NEW ARC BEGINS HERE! This is: His Yukiko of Duty and Snow. I KNOW! I got it wrong last chapter. But I've got everything written out on a piece of paper and I lost it when I was last updating. So sue me.

Chapter title: Pearl of the Stars by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: Here's a riddle what's small, English and doesn't own Naruto but owns her own plot and characters? ME!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Three<strong>

**Pray To God He'd Let Her Rest...**

_Yukiko was lying on the floor of her shared home, she thought she could hear Madara walking somewhere. She sat up only to realise she'd been lying in her own blood. Frantic, she scrambled to her feet and pressed her back against the door. The next logical step would be..._

_No! I won't call for Madara...I'm not like that...she thought, angry at herself for even thinking of asking for his help. It was just some blood...A lot of blood and she still didn't know where it'd come from. She had no wounds...Nothing. _

"_..." she went to talk however it came out as a strangled noise before she threw up blood. _

* * *

><p>Yukiko woke up in a sweat before throwing the bed sheets over her head. She wanted to hide away from the world as she tried not to vomit. It was only at this point that she realised that Madara wasn't in bed.<p>

Oh she couldn't stop this sickening feeling any longer. If she did she'd feel ill for the rest of the day, Yukiko gave up and made her way quickly to the bathroom. She did mildly feel better afterwards which she guessed was a plus. Just one day after their wedding and their routine had changed, he was up before her which was slightly irritating.

She wandered slowly into the corridor, hearing someone in the kitchen she rolled her eyes.

"Minoru, I swear..." she stormed into the kitchen only to find Madara, who seemed less than pleased at being confused with the Kiyomizu.

"You swear what?" he asked testily before grabbing her wrist. "Actually, we need to talk," this surprised her to say the least. "About your arm,"

"Excuse me, Madara?" he rolled up the sleeve of her shirt to reveal the bruise and pinprick on her arm. "Oh..."

"Oh indeed. Had any injections lately?" his voice was both mocking and at the same time filled with anger.

"It was just a blood test," Yukiko sighed trying to pull back her wrist however his grip tightened. "Please let go of me,"

"A blood test for what?"

"Nothing, Minoru thought I wasn't getting enough iron so he took some of my blood to test it." Both of them glanced down the corridor as they heard the front door slid open.

"Yukiko? Are you in? I've got those results you wanted and I heard Madara was at a meeting earlier!"

Minoru.

"I suppose I can ask him now then?" Madara let go of her and headed down to the healer before Yukiko could even utter a protest. "Kiyomizu!"

Minoru backed away a little as soon as he saw the Uchiha before bolting out of the door.

"You bastard!" Madara was quick to give chase and in a matter of seconds he tackled Minoru to the ground. "What've you got?"

"N-nothing...Madara-sama, you're crushing me!" Minoru rasped, trying to squirm underneath Madara's weight on his back. "Oxygen...need...oxygen," Madara moved slightly to allow him to breathe. "Thank you, I was only coming to see Yukiko,"

"With results from what?"

"Nothing, I swear, just some stuff for Kibou," Minoru felt himself beginning to shake. "Yukiko was..."

"Don't lie to me!" Madara snapped before taking a deep breath and smiling. "You've been researching the Sharingan, yes?" Minoru nodded. "You ever heard of Tsukuyomi?"

"Yes...Ah! No, Madara-sama, please...Have mercy!" Minoru pleaded as Madara dragged him to his feet.

"Have I ever been known for my mercy?"

"Madara! Wait!" Yukiko called out from the front door, looking slightly concerned for Minoru. "Please let him go, he didn't do anything wrong. He's only lying to protect me and...he doesn't need to. Hand him the scroll with the results, Minoru,"

The Kiyomizu glanced at her before his gaze returned to Madara. "I'll need you to let go of me," Madara did so reluctantly. "Thank you," Minoru hesitated for a moment but realised his chances of outrunning the Uchiha were incredibly slim unless some miracle happened and Madara was struck by lightning at that very moment however he doubted that even that would slow down the Uchiha. Instead Minoru opted to do as he was told, pulling the scroll from his bag and handing it to him.

Madara glared at Yukiko. "You'd better hope that this proves you weren't lying," he warned sternly, the darkness in his eyes telling her much more than his words. That Tsukuyomi could always be used on her. There was a slight pit in her stomach though. She closed her eyes and prayed. She couldn't even bear to watch.

"Yukiko..." Minoru muttered, looking down at the ground before he felt an intense pain and realised he had been punched to the ground. "Shit..." he clutched his suspected newly broken nose as he looked up at Madara who had an unreadable expression.

"Get in. Now." Madara spat to Yukiko who didn't say a thing, she simply turned around and walked back into the house. So much for starting her marriage in a reasonable way. "You ever come near my wife again and I will not hesitate to kill you, do I make myself clear?" Minoru trembled as he nodded. "Well?"

"Y-yes, Madara-sama,"

"You are an extremely lucky man in that for some reason she will always defend you." with that said Madara followed Yukiko while Minoru watched the Uchiha's back with a look of fierce pure anger.

"You're a lucky man too, you filthy son of a bitch."

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat down in the lounge with a sigh. Bad news then. It was just what she'd dreaded apparently.<p>

"Stay in there." Madara ordered, shutting the door to the lounge so she couldn't see what he was doing. But she heard several smashes from the kitchen and could easily guess what was going on.

The door slid open and he glared at her. For the first time in months...Yukiko was scared of him. She tried not to let it show however he would always pick up on it.

"How dare you..."

"Madara, let me explain..."

"Shut up!" Yukiko stared down at the floor, trying not to make eye contact with him. "To think that you wouldn't come and talk to me about this is inexcusable. You wouldn't _burden _me is what you said however clearly you were content to talk to that damn Kiyomizu!"

"What? I wasn't content! I needed answers and he was the only person I trusted with them!" Madara clenched his fists as he tried desperately not to hit her. She got up. "Can I see for myself?" he gave her the scroll before he sat down himself trying to gain some control over his temper. She read through the results before looking at him. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No. I want you to shut up like I've told you to so I can have a moment to think." There was a good five minutes of a thick oppressive silence. Yukiko found herself thinking about her clan again whereas Madara was thinking about his plan to become Hokage but one thing was really getting to him and had been for quite a while now. "It's probably Minoru's, right? That's why you didn't say anything?" At first, Yukiko looked shocked and then...Angry. Oh he knew that look.

"Minoru? My _cousin _Minoru? Minoru who I avoided until I needed his help with _one _thing so I didn't mislead you with information I wasn't certain on? You stupid paranoid man," Yukiko slid the door open and nearly got out of the room when she felt a cool wind on her back. She didn't need to turn around to know Madara was right behind her. Her heart skipped a beat.

"I'm really starting to loathe that tongue of yours, Yukiko," he said darkly. "It tests what little patience I have,"

"All I'm saying is that you're jumping to conclusions when all I did is ask him for help, I'm sorry if that offended you," Yukiko attempted to be polite however her voice kept that undertone of anger.

"That doesn't change the fact that as your _husband _you need to start treating me with respect,"

"This marriage was nothing more than a play for you to become Hokage!" She yelled suddenly, turning to face him. "So don't try and use that on me, Madara!" she felt threatened by how close he was to her and instinctively brought up a wall of ice. He misread her defensive actions for an attack and leapt back, weaving several hand signs and bringing up a massive ball of fire.

In moments the pair both knew they were in trouble. The walls either side of her were instantly alight.

"Kibou..." In a moment of panic her first thought was a stupid one. She ran out of the room and instead of putting out the fire with a water jutsu she headed to the bedroom and grabbed her rabbit.

"Yuki!" Madara had two options. Behind him was a door leading to the garden, in front of him on fire was the door leading to his wife. "Dammit...Think quick." While he realised that the argument itself was her fault, the fact that their house was burning down was definitely his fault. Well...Half his fault. She was also perfectly capable of making her escape on her own. He heard coughing from beyond the fire. "The smoke!" Madara cleared his mind now and rushed forward, covering his eyes as he ran straight through. To be honest, he didn't quite expect the house to go up in flames so quickly but it wasn't like a fire started by an oven. His jutsu had been far more intense than that. He made his way quickly to the bedroom, grabbing Yukiko's wrist and dragging her out of the front door as she desperately clutched Kibou in one arm.

"Madara!" Once they were out of the burning house both of them took in the sight with a sense of guilt. Some rather nice shinobi had spent time building them a nice house rather quickly because Yukiko had demanded sleep and now..."Water Style: Tearing Torrent!" she held out the swirling water from her free hand which quickly quelled the flames.

"I told you that you were testing my patience," Yukiko turned her hand over to him and doused him with cold water. "What the...!"

"I thought your shirt was burning slightly," she said quite dryly before coughing.

"What on earth is going on here?" A shocked voice gasped from behind them. Madara shut his eyes tightly he knew that voice.

"Hashirama-kun, what're you doing here?" Yukiko turned and asked. "Oh Hibiki-sama, forgive us we had a slight accident,"

"Dammit..." Madara muttered before turning. "This is exactly what happens when Yukiko tries to cook," she shot him a look of shock.

"Maybe if you...cooked for a change I wouldn't have to attempt it,"

"And if you were raised properly this would never have been a problem to begin with," he flicked a few strands of his soaking wet hair out of his eyes.

"Ha! I remember these sorts of arguments with my wife when we first were married. You'll need to get the Uchiha to deal with that home of yours. Ah, I've got a good idea. Promote good will! Hashirama, can Madara-kun stay with you while his house is being repaired?" Hibiki suddenly asked as soon as the idea came to his head, apparently not even considering Madara would refuse. As if he could anyway...

"Of course! That sounds like a great idea!" Hashirama replied, flashing Madara a gentle smirk. It seemed gentle and polite enough however even Yukiko could read it easily it was a smirk of 'Bring it on!'. They were back to point scoring but this time right in front of the Daimyo. "I'll help you see how much can be salvaged,"

"That's not really necessary, Hashirama-kun," Yukiko tried to defend Madara from the disgrace of accepting the Senju's help.

"Oh no, it'll take less time and you look tired," Why did everyone keep reminding her that?

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat cross-legged in the room at the room Hashirama was letting them borrow. She was staring outside the open doors that gave her a view of the stone garden, the full moon pouring a silver glow into the room. She heaved a heavy sigh. This was tricky to say the least. The door behind her shut and Madara placed a heavy bag down next to it before sitting behind her.<p>

"Yuki..." her back was pressed against his chest and his arms tightly wrapped around her. "It's not Minoru's?"

"No!" she cried out, exasperated before taking a moment to calm herself. "No, Madara, it's not. I've never even touched that Kiyomizu,"

"Hashirama may have been married longer," he kissed her neck before one of his hand gently rested on her abdomen. "But I'm going to have a child first, I'd like to see him beat that,"

"A life, Madara, not a pawn in your little game, may I remind you?" that angry tone was back in her voice. "I mean it, if you dare drag our child into this..." he nipped her neck, making her flinch.

"I'm going to hazard a guess and say, the Stronghold?"

"Yes, it was back then. Two weeks when we got back and then...a month and a week, I'm nearly two months and I've been feeling so ill and tired already," Yukiko groaned, tilting her head back. "I'm already fed up. I'm a kunoichi, I need to be up and out and working,"

"If you dare even think about it, I'll tie you up again," he threatened before chuckling. "I might tie you up again anyway,"

"Please let me sleep," she begged, shutting her eyes. "I'm very tired, I've been in a fire today,"

"So was I. That's not an excuse," he purred.

"You _live _in fire! You feast off of it. My precious ice can't stand it," Yukiko pouted trying to move away from him however he simply tightened his grip.

"They're quiet," Madara whispered, now he got up and pressed an ear to the wall that divided their room from Hashirama and Mito's. "They're never going to get anything done being that quiet,"

She rolled her eyes. Hadn't she told him just minutes ago not to make a game of this? She got up and joined him regardless. "You're right, they're quiet and are clearly being considerate to their guests. Not to mention neither are an Uchiha," he narrowed his eyes at her.

"What've the Uchiha got to do with this?"

"You're a very lustful clan, perhaps because you're such proficient warriors," Yukiko replied with a sly smile. "There's nothing wrong with that,"

"I've seen your land. No doubt you had to do it every night just to stay warm, it's a miracle you were an only child," Yukiko frowned. Oh what had he said now...

"My mother had her womb removed after I was born. She went off into a battle and was badly injured, it was the only way to save her."

Curse his habit of really managing to bring up the most awkward of subjects...

"That just strengthens my argument that you shouldn't step out onto a battlefield ever again," Madara pointed out. "What if you have a son? We'd have to raise him to be the next Uchiha Leader,"

She kept giving him...That look. "Madara, who was the last leader of the Ginhana?"

"You think I'd dare let my daughter lead the Uchiha?" Madara snapped. "She'll be a kunoichi but something more safe...Like a medical-nin,"

"You know how I feel about that stereotype. Do you really want her ending up like Minoru?" he gave her a look of shock.

"She'll have to be a proper kunoichi then. I wouldn't wish Minoru's level of weakness and shame upon even Hashirama," Madara joked. "You look dead on your feet,"

"How many times must I tell you that I'm tired?" she asked before falling onto the bed. "I need to sleep or else..."

"I remember what you're like without sleep. Like a damn child," he laid down with her. "I bet Hashirama has to beg Mito..."

"Shh, go to sleep, Madara," she whispered. "And you're probably right,"

"I'm not a child, I don't need you telling me to sleep," he growled softly.

"Either way, sleep please?" she muttered before she was dragged into the realm of dreams. Madara lifted his head slightly and smirked.

"Fine," his arms snaked around her waist and pulled her close. "Night, you two,"

* * *

><p>Madara was up before even Hashirama, it felt awkward to be wandering around the Senju's house while he knew that he was asleep but it wasn't like Madara to have a lie in. He was quite enjoying the peace. The autumn air made it crisp as he walked into the stone garden, it was a light breeze as he stared up at the sky taking note that Hoshi was circling above him. He felt a pang of guilt for ignoring his beautiful bird recently however he had to be reasonable. Hoshi was getting old. Kibou lazily hopped by his feet. The black rabbit got onto his hind legs and stared up at him, his nose twitching ever so slightly.<p>

"She risked her life to save yours. You damn stupid..." before he knew it Hoshi cried for above and began to swoop for the poor rabbit. Madara instantly knelt down and grabbed the rabbit and held it close to his chest. "That was close," he could feel Kibou's heart pounding quickly and the delicate pet was hyperventilating.

It was an odd scene for Yukiko to witness as she woke up though. Madara hold Kibou and whispering to him. It took her a moment to realise what was quite going on. She slowly sat up and smiled.

"Kibou?" the rabbit scrambled out of Madara's grasp and headed for her. "Good boy," she scratched behind his large perk black ears. "You're a good boy," she looked over to the Uchiha. "Give me a moment," she got up and made her way to the bathroom with Kibou following close behind her like a puppy. He realised she was, and probably had been for a week or so, at the morning sickness stage. He was almost angry that he'd missed it.

There was a light knock at the bedroom door and Hashirama entered with a polite smile and a yawn.

"I'll start work on your house mys..." he trailed off, turning towards the bathroom. "Yuki, are you okay?"

"Tch, you never heard of morning sickness, Hashirama?" Madara asked smugly. The Senju stared at Madara for a moment before laughing.

"Well don't you two get to work fast? Congratulations are in order...Yukiko!"

"What?" Yukiko, looking tired already, appeared at the door. "Something wrong, Hashirama-kun?"

"Mind if I take your husband away for a drink? We'll go talk to the Daimyo. Seems like all we've done in this village is drink and celebrate! Oh...Don't..."

"Tell Mito, I'll tell her you've got a meeting," Yukiko finished his sentence for him before glancing at Madara. "The Daimyo will be happy to see you two getting along,"

Hashirama nodded and left them alone for a moment.

"I'm getting tired of spending time with him," Madara grumbled as he stood up and approached her. "You don't even bother trying to tell him no,"

"You're the one who wants to be Hokage, not me. I doubt this village is willing to accept a woman leader quite so early on. We need to a strong man at the helm. You are that man, no doubt, so what's wrong with working hard to gain his approval?" Yukiko asked, leaning against the door frame with her eyes shut. "You don't like a challenge?"

"I love a challenge...Hn. I shouldn't have to gain anyone's approval though. I'm the only logical candidate for leader," he scoffed. "Fine. I'll play along with your little idea of being friends with that damn Senju," he kissed her forehead. "I sent word that Hayate and Aoi were to look after you, they should be here soon. You leave this house without them and there'll be severe consequences, do I make myself clear?"

"I'm not even 8 weeks yet, you realise you don't need to?"

"I'm not asking and even if you think I don't need to, I think otherwise," he snapped.

"Rabbits!" she told him quickly, picking up Kibou. "Don't leave Hashirama waiting,"

"Tch, why? It's not like I've got a meeting this is...a...social...meeting," he muttered as he got to the door. "I may be drunk when I return. It's Hibiki we're talking about, he'll be knocking back sake like water and he'll expect me to do it as well. He'll say 'But this is a joyous occasion' and he'll practically shove the damn cup into my hand with that smile of 'If you don't drink you won't lead'!" he left before she had a chance to reply.

"He moans, Kibou, he really does, but I reckon he's having fun," she giggled, hugging the rabbit tightly. "The only downside to this is...I want to be drinking with him..."

* * *

><p>Yukiko spent the day talking to Mito who was more than excited by the prospect of pregnancy.<p>

"Names, you'll have to pick good names. A good name can be the making of a wonderful shinobi. Take Sasuke for example..." Mito trailed off. "You know, Sasuke Sarutobi?"

"I do however I hate that name," Yukiko laughed. "A powerful man but a hopeless man, he always seems so scatty whenever I see him. Besides do I have to think of names before the baby is even born? I don't even know if it'll be a boy or a girl but I'm certain Madara would be upset if it was a girl," she asked, stroking Kibou who had fallen asleep on her lap.

"Picking names could be quite fun! Come on, let's think. Hm...How about...Izuna for a boy?"

"Oh no, I think that'd just upset Madara. For a girl I'd really like to name her after my mother," Yukiko sighed.

"Ritsuko? That's a lovely name. For a boy, if Madara's so keen why not talk to him about it?"

"I'll..." the door behind them opened and Hayate and Aoi came in. "Oh. It's you two."

"Yukiko-sama, don't be mad. We're only under orders," Hayate sighed. "We need to make sure you don't leave unguarded,"

"If I left, it'd be with Mito and are you saying she's unable to _guard _me if I need it?"

"What? No! We're just...well we were told me..." Hayate moaned, looking to Aoi for help. "Aoi?"

"We'll be standing at the front door, you're free to do whatever you wish however we'll just be on watch until Madara-sama gets back. If you leave, I'll make sure to track your signature but I won't follow, is that more acceptable, Yukiko-sama?" Aoi asked her much to the dismay of Hayate who was always strict on following Madara's orders to the letter.

"That's much better. I wish Madara would realise that choosing men from my own squad isn't a smart thing to do," Yukiko said as soon as they were out of earshot. Mito laughed.

"Hashirama wouldn't dare try to contain me like some prized chicken to incubate," Mito scoffed before getting up. "So maybe we should go out, to defy the almighty Uchiha, perhaps?"

"Ha. I don't see why not, coming, Kibou?" the rabbit looked up at her sleepily. "I need to find things to make a new cage for him anyway," she lifted him up and he fell straight back to sleep in her arms as she stood up. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Madara still hadn't returned by the evening and while Mito was annoyed that Hashirama was presumably drunk by now, Yukiko was much calmer.<p>

"It's not that I'm against him spending time with Madara and the Daimyo. It's just...I hate him drinking," Mito complained, having just finished eating dinner with Yukiko the pair were now sitting in the living room. "I'm glad our husbands have been getting along,"

"It's only been a couple of days since our wedding, you realise? So far the only thing we've done together is destroy our house. I hardly think he counts as a husband yet. Madara is responsible so I doubt he'll be too drunk and I reckon Hashirama-kun won't drink that much either as he knows it upsets you," Yukiko attempted to comfort her friend, feeling slightly ill again though. "Oh this sickness is only going to get worse as the weeks drag on," she groaned. "Now I know I'm definitely pregnant it seems so strange."

"Perhaps you should try eating little and often instead of proper meals if it's going to get worse?" the front door opened and both women were silent, trying to judge how drunk their respective husbands were.

"Mito! Oh, Mito!"

Apparently, Hashirama hadn't been as responsible as Yukiko had thought. "That little..." she heard Mito mutter. "I swear if he..." The living room door opened and Madara was supporting a very intoxicated Hashirama.

"You may want me to just take him to bed," Madara advised, his own speech slightly slurred. "He's pretty much wasted. He kept singing as I brought him here,"

"I can see that," Mito said coldly, glaring at Hashirama. "Drank much?"

"A few bottles here and there! I had to now Yukiko can't! Hey Madara, you're going to be a dad. You'll be a scary dad! Noooo Sharingan on the baby, okay?" Madara rolled his eyes and took Hashirama from the room.

"Try not to kill him, okay, Mito?" Yukiko asked, trying to sound jovial.

"I'll _try_," she hissed as she left the room. Madara appeared back at the door.

"He's right," Madara sighed. "Come," Yukiko followed him back to their temporary room where Madara proceeded to collapsed onto the bed.

"Had a good day then?" she laughed, getting on the bed. "How was the Daimyo?"

"You know, he drinks so much but he doesn't ever get drunk! It's really annoying. I was trying not to drink much but he basically challenged me to see if I could drink as much as he does. I can't." he groaned, sitting up and fumbling to take his shirt off. She gave him a helping hand before noticing several bruises on his back.

"You've been hurt," she muttered, running her hand gently over the deep purple marks. "Badly. What happened?"

"Nothing, it doesn't matter," he grabbed her and pulled her to lie down with him. "Stop asking me questions. I'll say something stupid, dammit don't take advantage," he slurred.

"I'm not. I'm worried about you. Lately you've had all these weird marks on you," she sighed. "I assume you've been training again and someone's managed to land a punch or two. Is Genshi getting that good now? No..." Yukiko laughed. "You've been training with Hashirama, haven't you?"

"Pssh, like Hashirama could hit me. Go to sleep," Madara groaned. "You need sleep. I need sleep. He needs sleep." his hand rested on her stomach. "Strong Uchiha."

"Your mother must have slept a lot if that's all it takes. How do you know it's a boy?" he shrugged.

"Better than saying 'it' all the time," he hugged her tightly. "We're gonna need a bigger house,"

"Promise not to burn this one?" she asked, happy to take in the smell of sake from being so close to him.

"That was your fault. You started it," he pointed out rather childishly. "I thought you were attacking me,"

"Why would I bother? You're vastly more powerful than I am, I was just defending myself because you were so angry and I was...a bit scared," he lifted his head up when he heard this and frowned.

"I get angry, I'm not a woman beater. Have I ever...?" he trailed off when he realised the answer to his own question. "I wouldn't hit a pregnant woman, let's keep it at that. I mean if you weren't and you'd attacked me, of course, but you are and you didn't. You don't believe me, do you?"

"I always try my hardest to believe you however...I'm not sure." Yukiko sighed. "Let's go to sleep, okay?"

"Okay...Yuki...tomorrow I'll sort out our house, I don't want to spend anymore time here,"

* * *

><p><strong>That bastard impregnated my Yukiko! <em>Kai, not your Yukiko...HIS Yukiko. <em>Kagami, if we looked at all the small details in life we'd have no time for the good things. He wed her and now he impregnated her...That...bastard Uchiha. _I might leave you to do this segment alone one day..._Please don't! My grief. _You're dead. _You're mean! **

**Question: Opening chapter of a new arc, how'd it go? **

**_Next Chapter: The Pills She Takes!_**


	54. The Pills She Takes

****Riddle me this: Take me out and scratch my head, what is now black was once red...What am I?

So! Chapter 54. Sorry for the little delay in updating, I had a big scene to write not to mention some personal things to do deal with in real life. I know, I have a life, I'm shocked too. But I'm back now! Put up some things on DA as well. I went to a shopping centre yesterday, it already had Christmas decorations and Christmas songs playing. Is it really that time of year already?

Chapter Title: Pearl of the Stars by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: Oh! While I was at the shopping centre I bought a tub to fill with hamster food and found a note in it saying that I don't own Naruto...How weird is that? I do own my plot and Yukiko though.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Four<strong>

**The Pills She Takes...**

Home...Yukiko was glad to have a new home. She stood in the corridor of her new house, Uchiha House Version 2 she was calling it. She doubted this would be the last time Hashirama was forced to use his wood jutsu to rebuild their home.

"Madara, look, it's as good as new!" she announced, walking into their bedroom. "Kibou's cage can go..."

"By the front door so you don't kill yourself trying to save him. You're pregnant, you're more likely to get sick. Who knows what diseases that filthy thing is carrying anyway?" Madara asked testily before throwing several bags down. "If I spend any more time with Hashirama I'll kill him,"

"Kibou isn't carrying anything. Leave him alone,"

"Leave who alone? Hashirama or the thing?"

"Both. If he invites you out again just say you're taking care of me," Yukiko advised with a sigh as she fell onto the bed. "He can't drag you away then, can he?"

"Tch, figures," he scoffed. She gave him a puzzled look before glaring at him.

"What figures?"

"It figures that your solution is to lie, that's all," Madara sighed. "I won't. I'll tell him I'm fed up,"

"And if he tells Hibiki-sama? Then what? This way you don't hurt Hashirama-kun's feelings and you don't upset your chances. Lying is necessary sometimes," Yukiko explained with a yawn. "It may help you to have a friend though,"

"Hashirama will never be a friend to me! He's barely an ally!" Madara exclaimed. "Why would it help anyway? I don't need any emotional bonds in this world to get what I want?"

"Fine. Do what you want," Yukiko snapped suddenly. "I'm going to have a nap. I'm tired already." She turned away from him as she got under the bedsheets.

"What?" he asked rather mystified by her sudden iciness. "What's your problem?"

"Nothing. I'm tired. Let me sleep."

Madara left the room, not wanting to even know what was bothering her. Instead he decided to use his time wisely by sitting in the study of their home and work.

After a few hours though, it was starting to annoy him.

"Madara-sama," Aoi slowly entered the room. "Genshi wanted to know if you had the orders done yet?"

"I've done it. You spoken to Yukiko?" he asked as he handed Aoi the papers.

"I have. She...seems to be upset about something," Aoi said rather nervously.

"You said that as though you know what it is and won't tell me. Aoi..." Madara's eyes narrowed, his Sharingan spinning. "What's going on?"

"Nothing, sir. You may want to ask your wife if she agrees," Aoi took the papers, clearly unaffected by Madara's threats or perhaps his cold nature meant he just didn't show it. Madara didn't care, the Sensor knew something.

Madara got up and made his way to his bedroom, realising that as his wife she _had _to tell him whatever was wrong with her. He was entitled to know whether he cared or not.

"Fine. I give, what's wrong?" Madara demanded as soon as he got in the room. "Tell me now!"

"Nothing. I told you nothing is wrong," Yukiko informed him but he still felt that coldness in her eyes. "Don't you have work to do?"

"I'm not leaving this room until you tell me so you may as well say now and get back to sleep," he threatened sternly, she rolled her eyes before frowning.

"I realise it's childish for me to be upset however when you snap that you don't need any sort of emotional bond when I'm sitting here having just realised I'm pregnant with your child leaves me feeling very uneasy," Yukiko admitted, looking away from him immediately. "However it's not your fault, I realise you're not keen on being close with anyone,"

"Tch, you overthink things. Yukiko, come help me with work. Once I get this done then we can plan for this child. I assume it requires some planning," Madara told her, gesturing her to follow him which she gladly did to do some work and get her mind off of the situation.

"Some planning, yes. We'll need to sort out the spare room as well, you and Hashirama-kun can do that,"

"Like hell we will!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko woke up slowly, hearing a lot of thumping in the room next to theirs. She turned around to wake up Madara only to find he wasn't there and quickly concluded he was then the source of the noise.<p>

She was now 3 months pregnant with her morning sickness being worse than ever and felt completely fed up.

"Madara!" she yelled as she sat up. Oh she could only imagine the hell her mother had been through with her father being the playful man he had been. Instead Yukiko was dealing with her over-protective husband rather well...It was to do with waiting until he was away and then letting out her frustrations away from him.

However this persistent banging first thing in the morning was getting to her.

"Oh for the love of..." she got out of bed with a heavy sigh.

"Back in bed!" Madara barked from the other room. She cursed how he always knew when she was up.

"I'm seeing Minoru today, remember?" she called as she stuck her head out of the door. "He was worried about something," Madara came out of the spare room.

"Right, I've got a meeting today so Aoi and Hayate will have to accompany you," he threw her a small bag. "Grapes,"

"Thanks, I could come to one of the meetings one day," Yukiko offered, feeling fed up with being stuck inside the whole time. Madara gave her a stern look.

"Or you could do as I say like a good wife and shut up and rest and only leave when necessary. Go, don't leave that idiot sitting around,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was ushered away from her Uchiha guards and into a small room by Minoru. He patted a bed, hinting her to lie down.<p>

"What are you planning, Minoru?" She asked with a rather testy tone. "Is this very...serious?" She frowned as she lied down.

"Hm. Probably not, I've got a hunch but I needed to borrow a new piece of equipment," he explained with a gleeful tone. "I'm very excited to use this actually, there's very few in the world,"

"What is it? Is it dangerous?" Yukiko couldn't help but worry, she didn't in front of Madara but to Minoru she was free to worry.

"Pull ya top up, cousin, I need your stomach bare," he told her, grabbing a small tube and putting a small dab of a cold clear gel onto her abdomen. "Here we are. It's like an x-ray and a camera in one, isn't that amazing?"

"Aren't x-rays dangerous?"

"Stop worrying, I wouldn't harm your little Uchiha baby," he tried to comfort her. "Oh, this is really making me excited," he grabbed a machine and detached a scope which reminded her of a shower head. "This is the only way to confirm what I'm thinking,"

He flicked the screen on which showed a black image before he pressed the cold scope to her bare skin. Then she saw a flickering white outline, he moved the scope down.

"Here we go!" He showed her the image. "Here's your little Uchiha," the blurred white image sharpened a bit and she could clearly make out the outline of its head.

"Oh! Does that mean he's okay?" She asked with a smile. "Does that prove your theory?"

"Wanna see a magic trick?"

"Minoru, I'm not a child," she growled. He flicked the scope slightly. "Wait...how did you do that? Did he move?"

"Nope. I thought the heartbeat I was hearing was much too rapid and had a murmur, the only theory I could come up with was twins, and I did some research and _this_ little thing is the only way to prove twins," he explained so excited and proud. "By the way...Madara owes me this much," he handed her a slip of paper that made her hiss.

"What? Minoru!" She sat up. "This is..."

"A small amount for a clan leader, surely. Besides...I'm really happy with my new toy!" He whined.

"But...it'll have to come out of _our_ money! I'm married to him and I've got...I've got babies," she sighed before laughing slightly. "Wanna come with me when I tell him?"

"Oh GOD yes!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Minoru walked down to the Uchiha office with Aoi and Hayate. She couldn't even help but feel a bit nervous.<p>

She glared at Minoru with the slip of paper in her hand.

"How can a stupid machine cost so much?" She grumbled. "You'll be lucky if you come out of this office alive," he handed him the paper.

"Why are you giving me this?" He asked with a puzzled expression.

"You can explain your new toy to him and see if he thinks it's worth this much,"

They reached the office, Yukiko slowly making her way into it.

"Genshi?" She called, the elder Uchiha glanced up from his desk. "Is Madara inside?"

"Yes he is, but erm..." He couldn't finish the sentence when Yukiko went in.

Hashirama was standing in Madara's office, they both seemed surprised to see her.

"Hashirama-kun, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine I was just talking about stock supplies for the blacksmith," he quickly explained, glancing at Madara. "I'm just leaving," Hashirama made his way out of the room.

Yukiko couldn't help but feel like she'd walked into something she really shouldn't have.

"What's he doing here?" Madara asked seeming to be quite annoyed not just by his interrupted talk but by Minoru turning up.

"Minoru, why don't you explain what's going on?" Yukiko said with a rather icy tone.

"Oh right well...yes. I needed to check Yukiko for a certain..."

"Hurry up, Kiyomizu, I don't have the liberty of listening to you stutter like the pathetic shinobi you are all day!" Madara snapped. Minoru stepped forward and placed the paper of his desk.

"I sort of made an order in your name for this amount in order to make sure your unborn child was safe," Minoru managed to stop his stutter this time.

Madara checked the paper and put it back down.

"Find anything then?" Madara asked, his voice calm which unnerved Yukiko, Aoi and Hayate who had all thought the amount was ridiculous and had fully expected Madara to attack the healer.

"Yukiko?" Minoru looked to her to talk.

"Can you all leave?" She requested almost immediately. They all quickly left the couple alone. "Aren't you going to say that price is insane?"

"I could but I balance it out with this, if something were wrong with our child and this expensive piece of whatever found out early enough then it's probably worth it," Madara casually reasoned before smiling at her. "Good news?"

"Depends on how you interpret it," she shrugged, sitting on his desk to face him. "We're having twins,"

"Hn..." He scoffed before looking at her in almost disbelief. "Damn."

"What?"

"That's tricky. If I were to pass down my leadership and we were to have twin sons then it'd be a difficult choice based on skill which would lead to a rivalry like Kouta and Kai," he explained rather solemnly.

"Oh we're having sons because there is no way I'm going through _this_ again," Yukiko sighed. "I feel sick and sluggish and tired and I only want to eat certain food and when I _do_ have energy I can't go out because you won't let me,"

He rolled his eyes. "You realise we live with a colony of other shinobi all of whom I've fought at some point in my leadership and most of whom hold a grudge against me. You're my wife and as such a prime target for attack especially if word gets out that you're expecting," he explained to her rather carefully as though he was trying hard not to lose his temper with her.

"You know...in a month or so, they'll realise that I am. Madara, I'm not going to be killed," she comforted, nervously playing with his fringe.

"Izuna used to tell me the same thing." He stated flatly. "Before every battle he'd tell me he wouldn't including the battle before he died,"

Yukiko sighed, her hand now gently resting on his cheek.

"No one would dare hurt me. They know what would happen if they did. If anyone goes against you, they'd swiftly be cut down. You're Madara Uchiha of the Mangekyou Sharingan," she laughed softly.

"Your suffering doesn't go unnoticed by me either. I realise that despite you being a woman the thought of being pregnant seems to revolt you, you've got no maternal feeling right now,"

"Yes I do! But I'm a kunoichi! I'm not a court woman, I need to be _doing_ something not sitting at home incubating babies and knitting!" She exclaimed angrily.

"Knitting?"

"You know what I mean. I can't...do nothing. I was raised to lead and if I can't do that then at least give me something to do! I need something to pass the time with," Yukiko pleaded with a look of complete frustration.

"I told you the day of our wedding that you were to focus on the social aspect of the Uchiha talk to the women, go...shop for your husbands," Madara half-joked with a smirk.

"I'm going to go train with Takehiko," she snapped, getting up.

"You wouldn't." He told her swiftly.

"Watch me." She hissed, slamming his office door shut.

Madara chuckled to himself before calling Genshi in.

"Yes, sir?"

"Go find Takehiko and _watch_ him. My wife will be going to find him to make it seem like she's training with him when really, she's just going to talk to him," Madara ordered before flicking through a few papers. "If you see Hashirama tell him to come back here. I've got some arrangements I need to go over with him,"

"Of course, sir,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko walked through the village trying to find where the young Sensor was. She found him in his usual spot at Ichiraku Ramen.<p>

"Takehiko," she sighed, sitting next to him. "Pork please,"

"Yuki-sensei! How're you feeling?" he asked rather loud and excitably. "You know Genshi is following you, don't you?" he whispered to her suddenly.

"I'm aware of that, I'm tired but I want to spend some time out. You're getting really good at sensing, Takehiko," she laughed, always finding the boy surprised her in terms of his abilities. Every time she saw him he seemed even more aware and focussed and strong. "A bit of backbone and you could be a good Uchiha captain!"

"Backbone? I'm getting better at being assertive! I've been learning from you," he joked. "I wonder if I should ask Madara-sama to help me...I mean he's probably busy with clan business and village business and then add to that sorting out the room for the baby, I'll ask him later,"

"Babies. We're having twins. And I'm sure he'd be willing to make time for you and if not, I'll make time for you, Takehiko," she told him, ruffling his hair. "You're my precious student," he blushed as soon as she said this.

"You mean that, Yuki-sensei? I mean, my father always calls me his precious boy but he does only it when he's teasing me,"

"Your father may be teasing you but I'm sure he means it. Fathers have odd little quirks and they aren't overly good at expressing how much they love their boys. But I assure you he means it and so do I," she reassured him however her smile turned to a look of confusion. "Hm."

"What's wrong?" Takehiko asked her, leaning forward slightly in worry.

"Maybe I'm more maternal than I first thought," she muttered.

"Oh yea! If you think about it, the way you lead me and Aoi around is like a mother would. When...When Kohaku-san was around it was like a mother and a father taking care of us. If you ask Aoi he'd agree with me!" he told her rather proudly. "You're always protecting us and telling us where we go wrong and praising us when we do well. Aoi doesn't admit it but I will, we need you, Yuki-sensei. You know, he was supposed to be taken off of your guard but he refused."

"I didn't realise you two felt so strongly. Do you mind staying here while I eat?" Yukiko had a slight laugh in her voice as she asked him.

"Yuki-sensei, I would say one thing though...I know you think that Madara-sama is being unfair but if you think about all he's been through, it makes sense. I'm not saying it's right what I am saying is that it's understandable. You could take up a game or something but try and stay at home as much as you can stand,"

* * *

><p>When Madara got home that evening he found Yukiko sitting in the lounge playing a card game. He couldn't help but feel it was a slight victory over his kunoichi wife.<p>

"I thought you were taking up sewing," he joked. She barely glanced up at him.

"Knitting. And I gave up and decided to play solitaire instead,"

"I've got you a present," this pulled her attention from her cards, she looked up at him, he was holding something behind his back.

"A present?"

"Here. These records need updating," he placed a stack of papers on the table. She laughed before saying.

"Oh! My husband really does love me. I was worried you'd gotten me something fancy, I appreciate paperwork much more," she said without a hint of sarcasm in her voice. She was genuinely pleased.

"You realise you say you're not a court woman however...Sometimes I wish you were. I can't believe you get happy over work most people would find dull and tedious," he scoffed before sitting next to her, one arm around her waist. "Don't waste all this work at once,"

"Oh! I wouldn't even dream of it! I'd savour it,"

"You've put a bit of weight on," he commented, helping her with her cards.

"I should hope so!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko, 4 months pregnant, woke up feeling slightly less nauseous than she had in a while. However she woke up to a sound she recognised instantly. It was a <em>shink <em>of scrapping metal, more specifically a sword being sharpened.

"Madara...?" she groaned, sitting up. He was in his Uchiha red armour which confused her, he also had his Konoha forehead protector on which they'd all been given, Yukiko had been keeping hers around her waist to keep track of how much weight she was putting on. "You going somewhere?"

"There's some rebels in the east. We'd been ignoring them up until now but they've started attacking small settlements," he explained with a smirk. "So I have to go do what I do best,"

"Lead the Uchiha to a glorious victory?"

"Precisely. What's that face for?" he asked, referring to the frown she now had.

"It's your birthday in 10 days, I wanted to spend it with you. However I realise this is what you love more than anything else," she managed to reason. "I wish I could join you though. Instead we'll wait,"

"Mito is staying behind as well to deal with the village matters, I'm sure she'll let you help her. I'd rather an Uchiha have some control while I'm gone," Madara informed her and he sat down next to her. "I'm taking the sword you gave me last year. I expect I won't be long, I'll be back for my birthday since it apparently means more to you than it does to me. You're a foolish woman though,"

"How exactly am I foolish? I've only just woken up,"

"I'll tell you later. I'm going to go to the gates of the village," he told her. "I'll be back soon, probably a few days,"

"Wait, I'll come with you. I think that's what proper women do!" Yukiko urged, getting out of bed and throwing on her clothes. She'd made the decision to switch to Uchiha Clan clothes. She wore a black shirt, much like Madara her shirt was partially open to allow easier movement and she wore white trousers. She found them far easier to deal with as she gained weight than her old clothes.

"Fine, I'll allow you this time only because you've been too argumentative lately," Madara sighed, gesturing her to follow him.

"I am 4 months pregnant with your twins, I think I'm allowed to be irritated with everything," she pointed out swiftly. "Who's being left behind with me?"

"Takehiko."

"No! Leave Aoi," she pleaded suddenly which made him look at her slightly bewildered.

"Yes...I'll take one of my less experienced and leave you one of my most talented, that makes sense..." he said, his voice thick with sarcasm.

"Takehiko needs more real battle experience and besides I thought you wanted me to be protected," Madara laughed at this.

"You're trying to improve your little prodigy?" he asked her with a knowing smirk.

"You're trying to improve your own! And I can hardly help Takehiko right now, can I? Is that Minoru up ahead?" she grabbed his arm and looked at the look of pride on his face.

"You can have Aoi, I'm taking Minoru and Takehiko," he told her with a worrying undertone.

"You're scheming something,"

"It's revenge for that stupid amount he made me pay, I'm taking him to battle. He is a shinobi and...we are family," Madara explained with a dark look in his eyes.

"He's never been out in battle before, you realise that, don't you? You'll have to keep an eye on him or else he could die," Yukiko warned him however he realised that she wasn't telling him not to take Minoru out. "I'll be pretty upset if he dies, as you said...He's family,"

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he doesn't die but he will be fairly shaken up by the time he gets back and he won't think twice about making me foot any more bills," Madara scoffed as they reached the gates she saw the scale of the operation. It was a large force that had gathered. Takehiko and Aoi found them immediately.

"Takehiko, you're coming, Aoi, you're staying," Madara ordered as soon as the pair of sensors showed up.

"This is a bigger operation than I expected," Yukiko sighed, he rolled his eyes.

"You've never cared before," he whispered to her.

"Strangely enough, I've never been pregnant either. I just don't want you to get hurt even though I know you won't," she told him with a slight frown. "I'll be wishing you a fresh snowfall though,"

"Hn, not that I had ever needed your blessings, come here," he muttered something in her ear before they all left. Aoi and Yukiko watching Minoru's pleading look to them before he left as well.

"He'll be eaten alive," Aoi commented coldly. "Hm?" he turned around, thinking he'd sensed something for a moment.

"I'm craving dango. Come on, Aoi," she pulled on Aoi's sleeve. "Let's go,"

"This is going to sound extremely improper but do you mind if I stay at your house while Madara-sama is away? I feel uneasy about you being alone in that house," Aoi seemed to be genuinely concerned and on edge for a change.

"If that makes you feel better," Yukiko patted his back.

* * *

><p>Raimei watched Yukiko and her brother head off into the village, her Sharingan trained on them and her jaw clenched.<p>

She slowly began to stalk them, so many ideas in her head to put into action and from the sound of what Madara had gone to do...So little time.

* * *

><p><strong>I hate Raimei...<em>I hate this arc. <em>Why? _I dunno, Kai, maybe because the more time Kay-chan spends on this story the less she spends on Iris. _Well...Be happy. We've got reviewers and they want to know how this will end. _Oh...An ending..._**

**_Question: C'mon! Predict how A Fresh Snowfall will end? I guarantee you that you'll be wrong. _**

**__Next chapter: When You Go, I Will Know. **


	55. When You Go, I Will Know

Riddle me this: It's been around for millions of years, but it's no more than a month old. What is it?

So this is a sad chapter. There's a character death in this one, just a warning. It's okay, he's died after 40 chapters of being in this story. *sniffles* A fine character indeed. And I just wish he didn't have to die!

Chapter Title: Pearl of the Stars by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: BANG! I just got shot in the head...It's a bullet that says I don't own Naruto but I do own my plot and characters.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Five<strong>

**When You Go, I Will Know...**

Yukiko and Aoi got back to her home that afternoon, Yukiko asking for a nap after just a few hours. She seemed to stop in her tracks as soon as they walked through the door.

"Something wrong, Yukiko-sama?" Aoi asked rather urgently.

"Yes...Someone's been in my house," Yukiko warned him, staring down the corridor. "Who?"

"Allow me, please wait outside," Aoi told her as he slowly walked down, letting his senses unravel like a web...He chewed his thumb nail as he took every tiny detail into consideration. He smelt the air...A few deep breaths told him he could smell perfume, he couldn't hear anything out of place, no doubt the intruder was gone. There was a thump. Maybe the intruder wasn't gone.

Aoi jumped into the kitchen, a kunai in hand, he froze as soon as he took in the sight though.

"Yukiko-sama, you may enter!" he called, shaking his head. "It was your rabbit!"

"Kibou?" she asked as she reached his side. "How'd he get out? I didn't even touch his cage this morning," she frowned picking him up. "He feels cold, what was he doing?"

"Hopping around in a circle, why?" Aoi noticed it as soon as she said he was cold that the rabbit did seem very weak. The rabbit began to spasm in her arms.

"Kibou! Aoi! Go get me his hay!" she ordered, holding down Kibou on the kitchen counter. "Hurry!" Aoi returned with the hay he'd found in Kibou's cage. Yukiko took a quick smell of it. "Poison. Someone's poisoned my poor Kibou," she whispered, mostly to herself. She gestured Aoi to hold him while she pulled out a syringe and bottle from a drawer in the kitchen. She took some of the liquid up in the syringe before placing the bottle back down. "It's already in his brain, I'll have to put an end of his suffering quickly. It'd be unfair to let him die like this," she jabbed his thigh muscle with the syringe and injected the lethal dose and after a few seconds his spasms slowed. She took him from Aoi and muttered to him to pass on which Kibou diligently did.

A few moments of silence passed, only broken by the front door opening. Aoi immediately sensed that it was Atsuko however Yukiko seemed visibly shaken and didn't seem to notice the maid coming in. She just made her way out of the room.

Yukiko sat down in bed, still holding Kibou's limp body. She felt...nervous and vulnerable. All she could think was that someone had broken into her home and just killed her beloved pet that Izuna and Atsuko had given her. It was frightening. It was a personal attack against her, like a warning and being pregnant as well made her fear for her unborn children as well.

She was very thankful she'd insisted on Takehiko going and Aoi staying now.

"Yukiko-sama?" Aoi slowly came into the room, frowning. "Atsuko is very worried about you,"

"She can stay as well, can you ask her to put a futon down in here for you?" She asked, standing up. "I'm going to bury Kibou,"

"Okay, let me know if there's anything else I can do," Aoi told her. "I've got a feeling I know who did this however I won't leave here to confront them without your permission,"

"You're not leaving. Keep your senses sharp," she demanded, she stood up and walked into the garden.

* * *

><p>Madara and Hashirama were silent as they ran through the forest, knowing that the rebel encampment was just minutes away. They'd sent off their army to surround them.<p>

"This shouldn't take long," Madara muttered to himself.

"You in a rush?" Hashirama asked, smiling at the Uchiha.

"Hn. I've got a promise to keep with my irritated pregnant wife and I'm not likely to break it," Madara was blunt with Hashirama, partly to rub it in the Senju's face that Yukiko was expecting and partly because he was still working on the theory of being honest to the Senju.

"Well, don't be hasty. A hasty attack is an attack doomed to fail," Hashirama advised.

"There's a difference between being efficient and being hasty. I believe that's why you're always so slow to complete missions. The Uchiha way is a much smarter way of dealing with damn rebels," Madara explained with a dark smile. He drew his katana as they stopped on the edge of cover.

Madara shut his eyes and when he opened them his Mangekyou Sharingan span into activation.

"Stand back, Hashirama, I'll pound these rebels into the ground without evening breaking a damn sweat," Madara broke out of cover, weaving several hand signs. "Fire Style: Great Fire Majestic Annihilation!" A massive wall of intense fire surged forward, igniting the camp.

* * *

><p>Yukiko couldn't sleep. She tossed and turned and couldn't help but feel deeply paranoid.<p>

"I hate this," she muttered, sitting up. It was not having Madara next to her, it made her feel so open to attack. She couldn't feel his dense chakra beside her, the smell of musky books was faded slightly. She didn't want him to be her protector. She didn't even want to be dependent on him but she felt like she needed him at that moment.

"You should sleep, Yukiko-sama," Aoi whispered from the floor next to her side of the bed. "It's for the best for both you and the babies,"

"I'm tired but I can't. Aoi, you said you had a feeling you knew who it was. Can you tell me?" She asked, leaning over the bed. "Please?"

"I'd rather not say,"

"So it's Raimei," Yukiko sighed. She closed her eyes for a moment before getting up and getting dressed.

"Wait!" Aoi snapped. He followed her out of the house. "Yukiko-sama, please be rational,"

"I'm filled with raging hormones, do you really want to try and stop me?" She warned, glaring at him. Aoi didn't answer. "That's what I thought," she stormed off down the path. It was then that it happened...

She stopped dead in her tracks.

"What? This has got to be a joke..." She gasped.

The one-eyed fox was sat in the middle of the path watching her. Aoi tried to look at what she was so intently staring at but saw nothing, her chakra wasn't disturbed either. That seemed to bust Madara's theory of her seeing things because of Kiyoshi...Aoi had been warned of this.

"Yukiko-sama, I suggest we go back,"

The fox turned around and ran.

"Wait!" Yukiko called after it, she chased the fox with Aoi grabbing her arm.

"Yukiko-sama! The babies!" She stopped, watching the fox running away. "Okay. I'm putting my foot down, get back to the house and _sleep_." Aoi ordered with a stern tone. "In the morning we'll decide what to do about Raimei, I will not let anyone harm you. I will be up all night just to protect you."

"But..." She placed a hand on her stomach and shut her eyes. "You're right. I'm being impulsive." She agreed, walking slowly back to the house. "Thank you, Aoi,"

As she laid back down in bed she slowly began to fall asleep she remember what Madara had told her at the gates before he left...The reason why she was foolish...

_"You're foolish because you seem to think this is what I love more than anything...I love Izuna more than anything and after him...It's you and those children you're carrying." _Oh! Where was that husband now that she needed him though?

* * *

><p>Raimei sat in her home that morning with a smile on her face. She laughed to herself as she flicked through papers of plans with a self-satisfied feeling.<p>

There was a knock on her door, assuming it was her brother she yelled for them to enter. The door to her bedroom slammed open.

"You filthy bitch! I realise that we have never gotten on but stay away from me, my home, my husband and, when they're here, my children!" Yukiko yelled, Raimei barely had a chance to turn around when Yukiko grabbed her top and slammed her back against the wall behind her.

"You think you can come here and take what's mine and that I'll just stay quiet! It should be _me_ married to him and _me_ expecting _his_ children!" Raimei countered, looking to her brother to help but Aoi had such a cold emotionless look in his eyes...

"But it's not, is it?" Yukiko's voice was a low hiss now. "You lose, Raimei, not because of me but because you're a vile, disgusting human being. You're a bit like Madara's shuriken...something for him to use, throw away and just leave behind without a second thought," Yukiko let go of Raimei who had a blank look on her face. "I'd beat you senseless here and now if I thought it'd do any good but it won't. I'm not like you, I'm capable of controlling myself,"

"Why you though?" Raimei asked. "You're not even an Uchiha!"

"Because I'm far better than you. I'm not an Uchiha but I've got morals and I'm loyal to the Uchiha and to Madara," Yukiko spat, trying hard not to hit her.

"I hate people like you...you think because you're loyal you can wear our crest..."

"No. It's because I'm married to your leader that I can. I'll be sure to tell Madara what's gone on with you and I'll be sure that he deals with you appropriately. Come on, Aoi," Yukiko quickly left, Aoi having no parting words for his sister.

"Yukiko-sama," Aoi began. "Can I ask you if you know how Madara-sama will deal with her?"

"I think he'll use Tsukuyomi to be honest but it's up to him," Yukiko told him with a shrug. "I try not to ask him how he deals with these sorts of matters,"

* * *

><p>Madara sliced down the last rebel, his katana completely drenched in blood much like his clothes. He sighed, taking his katana from the limp body. He wiped the blood on his shirt before sheathing his katana.<p>

He glanced up at the sky, noting that Hoshi was coming in with a report from Aoi. Madara took it, quickly reading it.

"Something wrong, Madara?" Hashirama asked, joining him by his side.

"Hn. Nothing it's clan business. Something's happened with Yukiko," Madara muttered, seeming slightly angry.

"We can clean up here, you should head back. Leave Genshi here with us and he can control the Uchiha," the Senju offered.

Madara seemed torn for a moment between staying and leaving.

"No. It's fine, as long as I'm back in two days, it can wait," Madara told him.

"Madara-samaaaa! Can I go back?" Minoru whined from behind them. "This whole ordeal has been so horrifying and...oh look at these wasted bodies!" Madara laughed to himself.

"Get back to work, Kiyomizu, you're a shinobi now!"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was fast asleep when Madara got in, finding Aoi sleeping on the floor. The sensor woke up seconds later though.<p>

"What happened?" Madara asked, placing his katana down on the desk before removing his armour.

"Raimei snuck in and poisoned her rabbit. She seemed visibly shaken about the entire affair and she thought she saw that fox again," Aoi informed him, trying to be quiet enough that he didn't wake up Yukiko whereas Madara had no such courtesy.

"So it wasn't Kiyoshi and it wasn't the Kyuubi. Something else must be giving her hallucinations," Madara said to himself. "It's not a genjutsu and it isn't a poison."

"Would you like me to leave, sir?"

"Yes. Take a few days off and leave me to deal with Raimei," Madara told him before Aoi left.

He was now torn between waking up Yukiko or not. He was certain she'd probably wake up when he got into bed. He threw off his shirt and trousers before crawling into bed, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"Go bathe. You reek of sweat," Yukiko groaned, turning to face him. "It's..." She had a puzzled look on her face. "Disturbing the babies," she grabbed his hand and placed it over where she felt a sudden light thud.

Madara seemed taken back for a moment.

* * *

><p><em>"Madara! Madara! Come here!" Tsukiko called, a slight laugh in her voice as she sat down. "Let me show you something,"<em>

_"What, mama?" He ran to her side as she gently placed his hand on her slightly swollen stomach. "Is it supposed to do that?"_

_"Yes, it means your little brother or sister wants to play,"_

_"I want a brother!" He declared. "I want a brother to play with! How long until he comes?"_

_"Another...5 or so months, Madara, and then you've got to let him grow a bit before you can play, okay?" She asked him, kissing his forehead._

_"Did I used to want to play too?"_

_Ren felt like he had the answer to this one._

_"Madara, you didn't stop. Ever. You'd keep your mother awake at night, she'd sit up and feeling you kick all the time," Ren told him, kneeling down next to him. "Hopefully this little one won't be so active all night,"_

* * *

><p>"I think that means I don't have to bathe until morning," Madara scoffed. "You better hope they aren't like me when my mother was pregnant with me or you'll be up all night,"<p>

"I was nice and calm for my mother," Yukiko laughed. "I hope you're happy,"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Because your birthday was yesterday."

"Damn..."

* * *

><p>The next morning the pair went out into the village, partly to celebrate Madara's birthday and partly to restock on equipment that Madara needed after his fight with the rebels.<p>

He wasn't at all pleased when they were spotted by Mito and Hashirama and Tobirama.

"Hn, I suppose I should congratulate you," Tobirama scoffed, glaring slightly at Yukiko. "I've not seen you in months,"

"I know. Thank you though, we've been very busy organising the Uchiha still and getting enough supplies in place for the winter," Yukiko informed the younger Uchiha with a proud smirk. "Have you been busy?"

"I've been making a new jutsu, that's all," Tobirama looked at Hashirama. "I've got to go," the younger brother quickly left.

"Tch, good riddance," Madara muttered.

"I heard that, I'd be careful. I'm a calm man but Tobirama is still my brother," Hashirama warned, Mito nudged him. "Hm?"

"Hashirama, we should leave as well," Mito told him quietly. "I don't think Yukiko wants us hanging around when they're out for Madara's birthday,"

"Oh...Well, excuse us then," Hashirama laughed, winking at them before trying to catch up with Tobirama.

"That was bizarre..." Yukiko said to Madara having the feeling of being caught in something strange. "Very bizarre,"

"Hn, well it's over now and it's none of our concern, come on," Madara led her into the shop where the Uchiha bought their equipment from. "Actually...Why don't you go back home? I'll be a while," he told her suddenly. "I don't want you waiting around for hours,"

"Sure, I'll go and pick up your present and I'll meet you back at home then," Yukiko said rather nervously before leaving and then running round to the back of the shop where the shopkeeper was waiting for her.

"Ah, Yukiko-sama, here you are. I've sealed it so it's easier to carry," the shopkeeper handed her the scroll. "You predicted his reactions very well,"

"Thank you! Just make sure he doesn't get one for himself," Yukiko stuffed the scroll into her tool bag and she slowly made her way home, realising that Hayate was following her. She rolled her eyes. Of course she could predict what Madara would do, he would never change.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was playing cards, as was her evening routine now, when Madara got back. He placed a cardboard box on the table before he left to put away the equipment he'd bought. She tried not to be curious about the box, as with everything with Madara all would be revealed soon enough.<p>

"Madara! Box!" she yelled, he appeared about 5 minutes later with a smirk.

"I left that there so that you'd open it," he pointed out, seeming to be waiting for her. "It's not an explosive,"

Yukiko slowly opened the box and was shocked by what she found inside.

"But...You always said Kibou was a filthy thing," Yukiko said with a confused tone, she slowly picked up the mostly white rabbit with tiny patches of light brown. "It was your birthday we were out for, how comes you bought me something?" she was so baffled now.

"You don't like her?" he asked rather angrily.

"That's...that's not it. She's beautiful but..." Yukiko bit down on her lip. "It just reminded me of something from that night that Kibou died," she hugged her new rabbit tightly and shut her eyes for a moment. "It was just because of hormones but...I was really scared. I'm a kunoichi, I shouldn't ever feel so vulnerable but I've got no way of defending myself right now without risking the babies lives. So I felt very much alone and even though Aoi was here I didn't care because..." the rabbit kicked slightly which made Yukiko smile weakly. She placed her down on the table before looking at Madara. "It's hormones talking, forget I said anything," She held out a scroll to him. "Your birthday present,"

"When did you have a chance to grab that?" he took the scroll from him, he opened it and unsealed it. It was new armour in blood red. "I was wondering how you'd outdo yourself after last year,"

"I thought if I couldn't come fight with you for a while since you have that ridiculous rule in place, I should at least protect you so that you'll come back to me and these two," she laughed. "Don't you find that peace has offered us more time to get to know each other?"

"Is that supposed to be a good thing? When you care about something you're more likely to be reckless, I know I'll end up doing something reckless to defend you or them," Madara sighed taking his new armour into the bedroom while she followed close behind with her new rabbit in her arms. She popped her into Kibou's old now disinfected cage.

"Reckless actions are actions made in earnest,"

"Did your father ever say something that you can't use against me?" Madara snapped before sighing.

"My father was a genius and most of the things he told me when I was a little has only made sense to me now I am an adult,"

"Did your father tell you that you should be honest and just admit your husband that you need him?" Madara purred in her ear suddenly.

"The conversation never came up," Yukiko shrugged. "I didn't say I _needed _you. I was trying to say I _wanted _you,"

"Yuki, don't lie to me," usually at this part of their banter, Madara would have her pinned however he was nervous as to how it would after the twins.

"I was just...really scared," she admitted, trying not to look at him as she said this. "I was scared for me and them and while I trust Aoi he wasn't enough for me. I am a very rational person, I understand that fighting will always be necessary to defend what we have in this village but I'd have preferred you not to have left," she sighed, resting her head on his chest.

"You feel safest with a man who's killed thousands, do you see how hypocritical that is?" he laughed.

"As I said to my aunt...I know you'd tear down armies to protect me," she countered, closing her eyes to savour his closeness.

"I wouldn't count on it, I said the same to Izuna," Madara said rather weakly. "Fighting _with _Hashirama rather than against was more difficult than the mission itself,"

"I'm sure it'll get easier in time," the Ginhana reassured. "Please try,"

"I am trying! My patience wears so thin with him right now though," he argued. "I'm never going to like him. But if I wasn't trying, I'd have attacked him when we were alone," Madara admitted sincerely. "Aren't you going to name your new rat?"

"She's not a rat!" Yukiko pulled away from him and knelt down besides the cage. "She's beautiful. I'm going to call her Ai. I've had hope and now I have love,"

"Don't make me sick," he groaned before lying down.

"Madara, shouldn't we discuss names actually?" she asked, lying down with him.

"Why? I don't care about your thing," she playfully hit him. "What?"

"You know those things I've got in me because of you? Remember these things?" she laughed with her hand over her stomach.

"It's actually because of you, and how could I forget? Names...Can't we just call them one and two?" he joked. "We'll need two names for boys then..."

"And two for girls," she firmly reminded him. "Actually I was hoping for Ritsuko for a girl,"

"After your mother? Why not Tsukiko after mine?" he offered.

"Tsukiko and Ritsuko is nice. I really like your father's name actually, Ren, but not my father's name...Isamu is a horrible name," Yukiko explained, feeling a slight kick. Madara's hand gently rested over hers.

"Ren and Rin? Are you going to be okay?"

"Madara..." she whispered, studying the worried look on his face. "I'll be fine. Double the fun and all and as long as I have at least one son I'll never need to go through this again which is good for me,"

"And if we have more children? What if I want more?" he asked with a slight testiness in his voice.

"We'd discuss it first. I'm not saying we won't, I'm just saying...We'll cross that bridge when we get to it," she laughed softly. "You can't rush these things, you're really quite fond of this, aren't you?"

"I'm not! It's just...it brings back a lot of memories. I'd really rather not talk about them but they seem...less painful somehow," Madara confessed, feeling rather awkward. "I can remember when my mother was pregnant with Izuna and she was so happy. It doesn't matter. I'm worried about the twins however I'm glad I can feel them kicking, it means they're alive," he closed his eyes. "It's reassuring to say the least although being twins they may be weaker and they may even be born premature and when I see you do reckless things, or reckless in my eyes, I panic. It pisses me off that you don't seem the slightest concern,"

"Madara, when Kibou died I was most frightened for them. I was worried that someone would come in and hurt me and our children and that...that scared me so much I almost...I feel almost like crying thinking about it. That's why I wanted you, I don't feel safe without you but usually I tolerate it as I can defend myself but I can't right now. Fine...I'll admit it just once," she moved up slightly so she could mutter in his ear. "I do need you,"

* * *

><p>That morning, Yukiko took the plunge and did something she'd been avoiding since Madara's return. She crept into a silent house and as she walked down the corridor silently she heard the soft sobs she'd been inspecting. Ever so slowly she slid open the bedroom door.<p>

"Minoru...Are you okay?" she asked quietly as she made her way to the bed where Minoru was hiding under the bedsheets. "How was the battle?"

"Your husband is a freak!" he furiously threw the bedsheets off of himself and tearfully glared at her. "He's a murderer! He's pure evil! He just...tore people apart and burnt them! And he looked like he liked it!" he shrieked. "It was Hell! Hell right in front of my eyes with your husband conjuring Hell Fire!"

"You like to make a point that he's my husband. The Uchiha have always been like that. Madara will tell you it's called being _efficient _or _skilled _however you're right...He does enjoy it. It's also his job, I'll remind you. Have you never been on a mission before?" Yukiko asked rather exasperated by his melodramatic flailing.

"No! Why would I! I need clean environments to work not those filthy...piles of dead people...burning flesh and the smell! Oh by the gods!" Minoru hid under the bedsheets again. "I'm not cut out for the battlefield. How did you used to handle it?"

"By reminding myself I have no choice. Minoru, he only did it because you really angered him. He doesn't want to be forking out a lot of money when he has twins on the way. You need to straighten up, you're a shinobi now," Yukiko stood up. "Get out from under there. If a fifteen year old can pull himself together, you can as well!" she ripped the bedsheets from him. "Minoru, right now my unborn children have more spine than you. Grow up! You're older than me for goodness sake and you're embarrassing! Stand up!" she demanded while he gave her a rather dumbfounded look. "Now!" Minoru shakily found his feet before Yukiko grabbed his arm and dragged him out of his house.

"Let go of me! This is kidnap! Or rape! Or something!" Minoru quickly discovered that rather shamefully Yukiko was physically stronger than he was. She led him all the way down to the fields were the Uchiha trained and found Madara and Genshi sparring. The men who were looking on with appreciation all turned to see the sight and nearly of them couldn't help but laugh at their leader's wife dragging the Kiyomizu around.

"I have a challenge! I want an Uchiha to succeed in making this pathetic man a shinobi! He cries in the face of battle and is the laziest damn shinobi you'll meet. Anyone think they can do it?" Yukiko announced with such confidence even Madara was taken back slightly.

"Can't be done," Genshi laughed. "He's shaking just from being here. He's worse than a Senju,"

"I'll do it." Madara interjected. "I'm not known to fail however he doesn't seem very willing, Yukiko,"

She shrugged. "His cowardice knows no bounds not to mention he's a frightened lemming in front of a pack of hungry wolves,"

"Yukiko please don't..." Minoru whispered. "I'm fine just being the healer I am..."

"Have fun with him," she pushed Minoru onto the ground. "Try and be gentle at first,"

* * *

><p>"Yuki...Wake up," Madara purred in her ear. She groaned and attempted to move away from him. "Not this time. I need my pregnant wife to come to the assembly to see me named candidate for Hokage."<p>

"Madara, I'm 7 months pregnant, do I have to walk all that way?" she asked, turning to face him. "I'd rather stay in bed, I'm starting to look like a balloon,"

"Do you want Hashirama leading this village? He'll make it all wood and Senju and everyone would be repeating about peace and love and it'll make me sick," Madara said. "Besides, I'd just leave,"

"You wouldn't leave, not our babies. If you did, I'd drag you back here,"

"Yuki, stop being lazy and come on. I don't want to be late," he snapped suddenly, getting up and pulling her up. "You make look like a balloon but other people will see it as a perfect image for me,"

"What happened to my rule of not using our children?" Yukiko asked testily. "It's not fair on them,"

"Life isn't fair, Hashirama is about to learn that," Madara boasted, a smug grin on his face. "I know it's only candidacy but a candidate then has other responsibilities. Did you hear that other countries are thinking of adopting our system?"

"I did but that's going to take ages. You're looking at a 5 year project," she stood up and threw on some clothes. "It's all well and good if you're named a Hokage Candidate but still, there's a lot of work to be done before someone is named Hokage,"

"I don't know why _you're _complaining. It means that you'll get more paperwork, hold my arm," Madara spoke quickly and directly as usual while they walked down the path.

Yukiko laughed slightly, clutching his arm. "You'll be named Hokage Candidate as well as Hashirama and then what? You two will be point scoring all the time. You do realise that peace is the main point of this village, don't you?"

"Look, I understand that but it needs to be the Uchiha who lead them that way. If the other countries choose to have villages as well then we'll need an active force to keep them in line," Madara explained as they came close to the assembly at the hall.

"You're right...Force them to stand in line," she joked. "God forbid those villages go against you,"

They entered the hall, the whole village filled the room. The pair made their way to the front where the Uchiha were all stood waiting for him. Hibiki Akio stood on a platform

"Ah my shinobi of Konohagakure, we all know why we are here for me to announce the candidates for our Hokage. I've decided that there are two candidates. The first is a shinobi who leads the Senju with gentle words and a belief in peace about all else, he is of course also a man of great skill. Hashirama Senju." There was a loud round of applause, Madara was the only person who refused to clap. "The second is the shinobi who learnt to set aside hatred in place for peace. Our over-confident, although not without complete justification Madara Uchiha," there was another loud round of applause, Madara smiling like a Cheshire cat. "I'm going to work you two to the bone until I can make my decision," Hibiki promised. "You're all dismissed."

"This, Yuki, is where the real point scoring begins and I already have a headstart," Madara whispered in her ear.

"How do you already have a headstart?"

"Because our unborn children have more skill than Hashirama ever will. People will see sense and my plan to slowly rule over the shinobi world will get back on track,"

* * *

><p><strong>That's a nice spot to leave it on. <em>Wow, Kai, you admit that their love is really sweet. <em>Well...Kagami...that's how it is. _Hm...You know an exert from Iris has been put up on DA? _Oh! Should I read that? _Yea it's from the Second Chapter, it's enough not to give too much away but it gives away the sort of dynamic I share with my main acquaintances. _**

**Question: Wasn't Kibou's death the saddest yet? **

**_Next chapter: The Pain In Which She Drowns._**


	56. The Pain In Which She Drowns

****Hey diddle diddle, it's time for a riddle: What hand has no skin, flesh or bone but four fingers and a thumb?

I'm tired. Like literally so tired I'll be asleep after this. Well...Give me 10 minutes and I will be. Also this is my first time attempting a chapter like this. It'll probably be terrible. -.-

Chapter Title: Pearl of the Stars by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: Here's another riddle...What's small and writes a lot and doesn't own Naruto but owns Yukiko and her plot? ME!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Six<strong>

**The Pain In Which She Drowns...**

"You two are seriously trying to kill me..." Yukiko moaned, not feeling all the comfortable lying on her side in bed. However she'd rather that than...

"I don't even know what you're doing here...All of you!" she heard Madara shout in complete anger.

"Your father is yelling at Hashirama and Mito. They're my friends. And Minoru is here too, he'll be an uncle to you two," she spoke to her large bump, being 8 months pregnant at this stage and feeling completely swollen however she felt...well. She was no longer nauseas, she was able to get up, albeit slowly, and walk around without feeling ill at all.

"You took me to war! This is the least of my payback!" Minoru shrieked.

"It's been 4 months! Get over it!" the Uchiha growled.

"I have flashbacks!"

"Shut up, will you? My pregnant wife is trying to sleep!" Madara snapped finally.

"Erm, you're the one who started shouting, not me," the healer countered. "Besides, she can't sleep the whole time,"

"Minoru, how many times have you been pregnant?" it was Mito who was speaking now which made Yukiko laugh, surely Minoru would be on the wrong end of a verbal lashing now.

"None and in fact this is the first time I've been, dare say it, a nurse to a pregnant woman. I didn't see many people before I came to the Uchiha," Minoru explained rather politely.

"It shows..." was all Mito said on the subject. "So how did you do research?"

"Rats! They're really very good subjects," he exclaimed rather proudly. Yukiko sighed, trying to get back to sleep but found that she couldn't, instead she got up and made her way to the spare room where Madara and Hashirama were working and Mito and Minoru were observing. "Yukiko!" Minoru's eyes brightened up as soon as he saw her. "How're you?"

"I'm fine. I'm a bit...wobbly but I'm good. I am hungry though," she answered, gesturing Madara over and he followed her into the kitchen.

"You need to control your damn cousin! Why is he even here?" Madara hissed.

"Because I could go into labour at any time, he has this theory that multiple births are more likely to be born premature," Yukiko explained as she grabbed a pork bun. "They're really impatient,"

"Come here..." he grabbed her wrist. "You're very short, do you realise that?"

"Erm...Yes I do, it's ridiculous, I'm too small to be so...big," she giggled. "I feel like I shouldn't be able to stand! I must admit, while I'm not pleased about being pregnant and all...I'm excited about when they get here!"

"I need an end to your torturous mood swings and your disturbed sleep, also I need to know whether I'll have sons," he told her. "If not you'll..."

"No. A woman can lead the Uchiha, people said I couldn't lead the Ginhana and I did. Say we've got two daughters and then later we have a son...Now one of the daughters is average like me and so is our son however we have an exceptionally strong, smart daughter. Do you hand the Uchiha over to your son who is...well he'd be okay? Or would you hand them over to our brilliant daughter?" she asked. He had found that he'd discovered Yukiko's philosophical side, she was full of questions and mainly about the future of the clan and the future of their children.

"In a perfect world, I'd choose the daughter but we don't live in a perfect world, we live in a dying world, so I'd be forced to choose the son however I assure you that none of our children while be cursed with your so called average skills," Madara scoffed with a shrug. "You're an idiot. You say you were a good leader of the Ginhana and then point out you're average. Make up your damn mind,"

"Hey, Madara, this cot won't build itself!" Hashirama called from the other room. Madara glared at Yukiko.

"Why do you want me in here?" he asked testily.

"Hm? Oh now we're married I know that you can't hide your cooking abilities from me anymore I was hoping for some of your nice rice balls," despite what she was saying she already had another pork bun in her hand. Madara grabbed a box from the counter behind her and handed it to her.

He quickly left the room while Yukiko opened the box and found 4 rice balls freshly made for her. There was a note placed over them saying: _A good shinobi is always ready. _

She laughed to herself before heading to the nursery where Hashirama and Madara seemed to be in the midst of a contest.

"We're nearly done, I bet Madara's yelling woke you up again, eh?" Hashirama asked her with a grin.

"No actually it was Minoru's girlish screeching that did," she joked before sitting down on a chair next to the door.

"It's not girlish! Remember...I'm becoming better," the healer attempted to remind her.

"Within reason, yes. You're still a spineless little thing, aren't you?" Yukiko countered snidely. "And my unborn children are still much..." She trailed off for a moment glancing at the floor.

"Yuki?" Madara stood up and walked to her side. "You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine, I think I need to lie down though," she shakily stood up and left quickly, retreating back to the familiarity and safety of her own bed.

The Uchiha followed her though, making no attempt to hide his concern. "Yuki?"

"Honestly, Madara, I'm fine, thank you for worrying but it's not necessary in this circumstance," she laid down on her side with her eyes shut in an almost painful expression. "Just let me rest," He went to stroke her cheek but quickly decided to just leave her alone.

"Madara-sama, want me to check on her?" Minoru offered almost as soon as Madara walked through the door. He nodded and the healer leapt up and headed out.

"Mito?" Hashirama turned to his wife.

"Right, we'll be leaving you in peace," Mito told him as the Senju smiled. "You'll have your hands full soon enough," the pair left and Madara sighed, pulling off his locket to see his brother's face again.

"What the hell am I doing, Izuna?" He muttered to himself. "I'm not a husband not like..."

* * *

><p><em>"Dad!" Madara called down the corridor, having to sprint to catch up with Ren.<em>

_"What, Madara? I've got a mission," Ren knelt down to his son's height. "You look flustered,"_

_"Mum's hurt!" he told him in a fluster. "She's asking for you!"_

_"That would mean...dammit!" Ren rushed to pick Madara up and get down to the infirmary. "What's going on?"_

_A medical-nin looked over. "She's going into labour, captain!"_

_"L-labour? The baby isn't due for another 6 weeks!" Ren ran to his wife's bedside. "Tsukiko,"_

_"Ren...I'm scared," she sobbed, gripping Ren's hand tightly. "I'm really scared."_

_"Shh, I'm here now," Ren soothed. "Don't be scared, Tsukiko. I'll make sure everything is fine, I promise,"_

_"Dad...is the baby going to be poorly?" Madara asked._

_"No, Madara, he's just a little impatient to come play with you and he's decided he just can't wait anymore,"_

* * *

><p>"Izuna, what would you do?" Madara whispered. "Dammit, I'm not father. Not even close. He just knew what to do..."<p>

There was the faintest bell chime in his ear. "Kiyoshi?" The sword appeared propped on the wall. Madara leant down and gripped the sword's handle.

* * *

><p><em>"Papa!" Yukiko, about 9 in this memory, sat out in the snowy back garden with Isamu. "I've got a question!"<em>

_"Only one, Yuki?"_

_"Will I be a mama one day?" She asked rather quietly._

_Isamu took a deep breath. "Oh, I imagine so. That's scary stuff though, raising children," he put his arm around her. "Very scary,"_

_"Not to you, papa!" She chimed obediently however he laughed this off._

_"No, no. Even to me. When you sneak into your Uncle's at night or when you get lost out in the snow, I'm scared. And when your mother was expecting you I was a bucket of nerves," he explained rather joyfully. "When you born, I cried. Your mother thought it was from joy...she couldn't tell I was crying because I was so scared! Ha! She just said 'I'm so glad you're happy!' And I was standing there sobbing going 'Oh my god!'" Yukiko playfully hit him._

_"Don't lie, papa!"_

_"I'm not lying! I was a mess! I was glad you were here but you were tiny and so much can go wrong with babies and I just assumed the worst...which would be one day I drop you on a spike which goes straight through your head, by the way," Isamu sighed. "I wouldn't change it for the world though, Yuki. You're my only daughter and I'll be glad when you lead the Ginhana but that doesn't mean I won't cry!" He hugged her tightly. "The best thing a parent can do...is to embrace the fear of caring for children along with the joy,"_

* * *

><p>Madara let go of Kiyoshi, feeling light-headed as he did so.<p>

"Madara-sama!" He heard Minoru yell. "Hey!"

Madara could hear that Minoru wasn't being his usual melodramatic self not to mention something in the air FELT wrong somehow. It was his instincts kicking in.

"What?" He made his way to the bedroom quickly.

"Don't hold me to this but...I think she's in labour," Minoru looked incredibly pale as he said this, a look of almost dread in his eyes.

Madara shut his eyes...run this like a drill...he told himself.

"Towels, hot water...Minoru, go get me a few of the Uchiha medical-nin. I mean it, Minoru, they have to be Uchiha, I don't want any scraps from one of those other filthy clans here!" Madara barked. The healer nodded and ran out of the room.

"Yuki?"

"It hurts," she whimpered. "These contractions...they hurt,"

"They get worse," he told her flatly as he grabbed a few towels from the bathroom and filled a basin with hot water. "My mother was known for being able to take a lot of pain and when Izuna was born she screamed the Stronghold down,"

"I think you're supposed to reassure me, actually," she laughed with a pained expression.

"How long have you had contractions?" He asked, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"All day, really. I just thought it'd pass," she groaned. "But they just got worse,"

"You're more of an idiot than I could ever understand!" He yelled. "You stupid..."

"If you're going to yell at me then get out!" Yukiko snapped fiercely. "You can't just be...Ah! Rabbits! Don't go!" She immediately pleaded, grabbing his hand.

"You're scared." He sighed. "Well, that's natural. Just..."

"Madara, there's two of them and they'll be so small!" For once Yukiko allowed herself a moment of panic, her walls finally crumbling before him. "You think I don't care! I do!"

"Embrace the fear of caring for children along with the joy," Madara advised her, there was a look of sudden delight on her face.

"My father..." She muttered. "My father..." She held her hand out to him. "Help me, Madara," she pleaded. "I'm really scared for them,"

"We're here, sir!" Two medical-nin came into the room. One of them was a man she recognised as Jinko. He was head of the medical-nins of the Uchiha and was quite old, his once black hair now mostly white and she also knew he was very fond of Madara.

"Ah...go get Atsuko, she'd be better here than you," Jinko advised the other medical nin. "Yukiko-sama, how are your contractions?" He asked calmly.

"Painful...they seem to be getting closer," she panted. "Painkillers..."

Jinko shook his head.

"You need to lie flat on your back. Trust me, I delivered him," he pointed to Madara. "And his brother,"

"Jinko..." Madara's voice was very low and stern. "I'd appreciate your focus be on my wife,"

"Of course," Jinko pulled out his medical pack and opened it, pulling out a scalpel.

"What's that for?" Yukiko asked before Madara could.

Minoru interjected at this point. "For...a caesarean. It'll be safer than a natural birth,"

Madara's Sharingan immediately activated. "Like hell are you cutting my wife open,"

"He's not, Jinko is. And...AH!" She winced, grabbing his shirt. "It's best for them."

Madara glared at her, he didn't mean to but he was struggling. He was feeling very...useless. He knew he was supposed to support Yukiko but he couldn't help but want to do something, anything.

Atsuko ran in, looking strangely calm. "Yukiko-sama, I'm here. Are...we doing a caesarean, Jinko? Is there anything we need to do beforehand?" The maid was at Yukiko's side in seconds.

"Wait! I've not agreed to any of this!" Madara argued.

"We can hardly wait, Madara-kun," Jinko was swift to counter. "She's in labour now and your children are pretty eager to come out,"

Madara gave him a look that could kill.

"If you're going to argue then get OUT!" Yukiko shrieked. "I hate this about you! I need you!" She started to cry. "You're more interested in arguing and fighting! Even when I'm having your children and you just stand here ARGUING! Just shut up and be here for me!"

Madara frowned, pulling a chair next to the bed to sit on, he placed his hand on her forehead and looked at Jinko. "Do what you have to." His voice was solemn. She flinched when she realised Jinko was injecting her with something.

"A bit of a sedation. Minoru, can you sterilise my scalpel? Atsuko, I need you to prep," Jinko was immediately in control, he was calm and barking orders and Atsuko and Minoru obeyed without question.

"Don't look so worried," Madara whispered. "He's right, he was the ninja who delivered me. He's the best in the Uchiha,"

"They'll be tiny," she whimpered in reply. "I can't help but be scared, can you make sure it's okay? I can't see,"

He nodded, standing up.

"Ready?" Jinko asked him as his scalpel hovered over the base of her bump. "Madara-kun?"

"We're ready," Yukiko's tears only seemed to become worse. She gripped at Madara's shirt, he instinctively held her hand, her grip was tighter than he'd ever felt from her. She was so defenceless and feeble and she seemed to be...so honest to herself for a change. She hissed in pain, her arm shaking she was so tense.

"I feel dizzy," she muttered.

"That's the sedation," Jinko said. "I've made the incision. Atsuko, you ready for the first one?" The maid stood next to him with a towel. "We'll take this easy." He muttered. "Minoru, get ready for the second, you can never be too prepared,"

"Madara..." Yukiko pleaded. "It hurts."

"Bear with it," she was trembling though and his every instinct was telling him to stop her being in pain. "And pray for a boy,"

"That's...ah...the least of my worries," despite the sedation she still seemed in pain or, at least, in serious discomfort.

It was a strangely disturbing yet fascinating sight. He'd seen many things in his time but this was the second time witnessing the birth of a child this way and it seemed more amazing being his own.

Moments later, Jinko was passing the newborn to Atsuko.

"Go check," Yukiko panted. "Please,"

Madara stepped to Atsuko, who looked at him with a smile.

"You should cut the cord, Madara-sama," she handed him a pair of scissors she'd prepared. He was almost shaking. Almost. As he cut the cord though and was then handed the tiny baby, his breath was caught in his chest. The baby was crying with a high pitch wail but it was...indescribable and, much like Isamu, Madara was terrified. "A son, Madara-sama," Atsuko told him with a smile.

Oh the moment was just too perfect.

"A son?" Yukiko asked hazily. "Little Ren?" Madara sat down to let Yukiko see her newborn son. "Oh Ren."

A new, louder scream filled the room. Madara gently laid Ren down on her chest and went to check on the second arrival.

Again Madara felt that same sense of awe as he cut the cord and held the newest life.

"And that is a little girl with very developed lungs," Jinko joked. "I'll close you up now, Yukiko,"

"Ritsuko. Will she always be this loud?" Madara asked with a smile.

"Perhaps," Jinko swiftly closed the incision and then checked the newborns. Once he was satisfied that they were okay the three ninjas left the new parents alone.

"They are small..." Yukiko sighed. "So small. And loud," she trembled as she sat up. "Do I need to feed them so soon?"

"You do. They'll be very hungry and tired." He told her, sitting down next to her, wrapping one arm around her with Ritsuko in the other. "You don't need to go through another pregnancy now,"

"I know," she set about feeding Ren first. "I'm actually feeling more relieved than scared now. I'm sorry I was screaming at you,"

"Hn. I won't punish you for something you did in labour," he could help but notice how drained Yukiko looked. He got a strange urge to kiss her which he swiftly caved and did, he felt himself wanting to be extremely affectionate and he wasn't quite sure whether it was from relief or excitement.

"You're smiling for a change," she laughed. "I'm so tired...and drugged,"

"Apparently even I can be happy at times like this," she handed him Ren and took Ritsuko. "My son...you need to be as strong and assertive as me and as skilled as I am and as full of wit as your mother,"

"Ritsuko, you need to prove Madara wrong and be brilliant," Yukiko whispered. "Lead the Uchiha,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko was fast asleep just hours later. Madara had taken the babies to their room. He was sat in between the two cots, Ren on his left and Ritsuko on his right. He couldn't help but think of Izuna again. Not just his birth but the time Madara had spent raising him. Izuna's first word, his first steps, Madara had been through them all alone. He now had to go through these experiences with his own children but more importantly he had someone to share them with.<p>

"You two are going to be a handful," Ren seemed to be whimpering, Madara leaned over and gently stroked his head. "Don't start crying, your mother is exhausted," Ren ignored his father's words though and immediately began to cry. Madara got up and shut the door to try and stop Yukiko from waking up. "Do you have any idea what she's like when she has had no sleep?" Madara hissed, picking Ren up. Ren's cries woke up Ritsuko who began crying as well. "Crap!"

The door opened and Yukiko came in with a small smile.

"Madara, let me. I'm finally able to do something," she took Ren from him. "Shh, my son," Ren's cries turned quiet almost instantly. "It's okay,"

"How did you do that?"

"I read a few books, they recognise my voice from being in the womb. They don't recognise yours though," she explained in a low voice. "They will soon enough though," Madara was frowning though. "Don't let it hurt your pride,"

"Tch. It's not that bad," he scoffed. "Why don't you let him sleep with Ritsuko? Izuna would cry unless he slept with me,"

"Oh, do you think he misses being with her?" She asked, looking at Ritsuko. "I suppose he's never been away from her," Yukiko placed Ren in Ritsuko's cot. "There. They're a set, they should stay together, shouldn't they?" She stumbled back slightly, Madara supporting her instinctively. "I'm tired...can we go to bed?"

"Yes...You need to be careful with your stitches. I didn't tell you this but I have to go to Land of Wind tomorrow," Madara whispered, trying to make sure he didn't wake the babies.

"What?" she shrieked.

"Keep it down," he hissed, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the room.

"Keep it down? They're barely hours old and you're _leaving? _How naive am I?" she turned around and walked off.

"Where are you going?" he yelled after her.

"To bed. What's the point in discussing anything with you? I'll tell you that this time is important for them, you'll say that securing your position as Hokage is more important. I'm tired. I've given birth today, I'm not arguing, I just want to sleep," Yukiko stumbled onto the bed. "Don't wake me in the morning when you leave,"

"Don't you dare talk to me that way! I'm your husband and you'll talk to me with respect!" Madara snapped angrily.

"And I'm the mother of your newborns. Night, Madara."

* * *

><p>It wasn't long until Yukiko was up with the babies. Every time she had disrespected Madara she was filled with guilt afterwards and now was no exception. He was fast asleep and she was <em>not <em>waking him up. She didn't want to apologise despite her mind urging her to.

"Can't you two sleep? You've just been born," she yawned as she laid down Ritsuko. "You must just want to sleep," she knelt down next to their cot. "I do. Shh," she soothed the two of them. "It's just going to be me and you two for a while. Hope you two don't mind if I sleep on the floor. It's just easier," she curled up on the floor. "I'm very sore. And your father is a jerk. He means well though. He doesn't...say the right things and half the time he doesn't do the right things but he loves you very much. You should have seen his face today. I'll show you with Kiyoshi one day...When I get him back. I'm not going to cry so you two aren't allowed to either..."

* * *

><p>"Yukiko, I need you to move," Madara ordered sternly, looming over her from where she lay on the floor with his arms folded. "Just roll a bit,"<p>

"I told you not to wake me before you left," Yukiko groaned, sitting up.

"Which would suggest to someone with a working brain I've sent Genshi in my place," he sighed, picking up Ritsuko. "You've become very pathetic again,"

"They were only born yesterday," she got up. "I feel achy,"

He gave her a rather condescending look before saying "Sleeping on the floor does that to you,"

"I was upset and I'm allowed to sleep on the floor if I have to. And I think the aches come from giving birth as well, they're going to cry again, aren't they?" she asked. "Thank you for staying by the way. It's good to see you can pull through, does that put us higher than you securing Hokage?"

"Maybe."

Yukiko settled for a 'maybe' knowing full well it was Madara's way of saying 'yes' it'd hurt his pride to say it outright though. So he'd stay cryptic and she'd stay open.

"I love you," she told him, and then repeated it to her newborn children. "And now I have a family again, so do you, Madara,"

"Hn, why do I have a terrible feeling this won't end well?" he half-joked.

"Because it never does,"

* * *

><p><strong>Yay. They're born. And icky. And I hate them. <em>That's so mean! They're just babies. <em>I know how this will end. _Funnily enough, so do I. _And oooh. You all want a happy ending, don't you reader? _No hope, no love, no glory, no happy ending. _Nice song, Kagami. Question time? **

**_Question! How was that chapter anyway?_**

**Next chapter: My Pearl Of The Stars.**


	57. My Pearl Of The Stars

****Riddle me this: How much dirt is in a hole 3 acres wide and 200ft deep?

****There's a four year gap between the last chapter and this one. There's a reason. Quite frankly...Nothing worth noting happens. The storyline just picks up where it left off here. This is the last chapter of this arc though. The Fragility Of Peace begins next chapter.

Chapter Title: Pearl of the Stars by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: I just got some post! It says I don't own Naruto but own my own characters and plot. What a weird letter...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Seven<strong>

**My Pearl of the Stars**

Yukiko opened her eyes slowly, feeling warm and content. Madara's powerful arms were holding her tightly. It made her feel completely safe. She would have spoken or moved slightly but it would have broken the calming spell.

"Yukiko, they'll be up in a minute," he warned her in a low voice. "Your turn."

"It can't possibly be my turn, it should be yours," she groaned and yawned at the same time. "At least they sleep through the night now,"

"They're four. I'd hope so," Madara rolled away and pulled himself out of bed. "I've got another meeting today. I swear the Daimyo doesn't even want a Hokage anymore, he's just content making me and Hashirama jump through damn hoops,"

"You know he's waiting for more stability in the other countries first," Yukiko pointed out swiftly. "Before you leave for your meeting, at least go and see them,"

"I will...just come here." she moved to the edge of his side of the bed. "We should have a couple more kids,"

"That's just you saying we should have more sex. No. No more children, if I ever have to go through an ordeal such as pregnancy again, I'll kill you," she laughed, her head against his tone chest. "I'm not made for any more kids. If I could I'd have that part of my body removed,"

"You really mean that?"

"I very much mean that. It may have all been excitement for you but you weren't vomiting in the morning and waddling around everywhere," Yukiko pointed out before looking up at him. "Can't you be glad of what we've got?"

"That's a no to children but not a no to..."

"Go and see them, Madara," she stood up and kissed him gently. "We'll talk about it later,"

Madara rolled his eyes and made his way into the twins room.

"You two, wake up!" he bellowed, opening the curtains in their room.

"I'm awake, dad," a quiet voice informed him. He glanced over to Ren who seemed to be hiding underneath bedsheets. "Morning,"

"You're always up early, come here," Ren slowly got out of bed and took a few steps to stand in front of his father. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing..."

"Don't lie to me, you're not your..."

"RAAAAWR!" Ritsuko leapt out from her bed and jumped onto her father's back, who had predicted this move and didn't even flinch.

"Ritsuko, you realise if you're trying to sneak up on someone you shouldn't yell before breaking cover," Madara told her wearily. "You also shouldn't do it every morning,"

"Did I scare you?" she asked gleefully. Madara realised Yukiko was at the door giving him a look of 'Play along'.

"Yes, I was terrified," he said rather deadpan however it was enough to please his daughter who made an excitable squeak. He sat down on her bed for her to carefully get off of him. "Now, Ren, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Madara shook his head. He knew he should probably drop it but he worried a lot about his son as the planned future leader of the Uchiha. Ren seemed to have no drive though whereas Ritsuko had it in abundance.

"I have a meeting to get to, I'll see you two later," Madara was suddenly hugged tightly by Ritsuko.

"You don't play!" she sulked. "Stay here and play!"

"I'm busy, Ri, I'll play later," Madara told her as he pulled her off of him. "Okay?"

"No! You're a liar! Ma tells us all the time like all the time!" Ritsuko's bad habit of repeating things when she was too excited. "Play now! Later is a long time away!"

"Ritsuko, don't start." Yukiko warned from the door. "Your father has a meeting so leave him be, he came in to wake you up and he'll be back later,"

"You're no fun, Ma!" Ritsuko moaned. "Will he actually be back?"

"It's just a meeting, Ri, I'll be back later," Madara sighed. "I'll see you all later," he kissed Yukiko's cheek and left.

"I wanna play with Uncle Hayate!" she demanded, jumping up and down. "Where's Uncle Hayate?"

"He'll be round later as well," Yukiko was already feeling tired. "Come to the living room and play, you two, I'm not feeling very well though so you'll have to bear with me,"

"I'll look after you, Ma," Ren said quietly.

* * *

><p>Madara strode into the Hokage office, or what would one day be the Hokage office, where Hibiki Akio was sat with an angry expression.<p>

"Madara, just the man I need," he said, almost glaring at Hashirama. "It seems our fears have come true after all,"

"Oh?"

"Several smaller villages have started some disputes. One of them is with our allies the Uzumaki clan's Uzushiogakure and the other is with one of our biggest ports which Yugakure have began an attack on," Hibiko explained.

"Well that's simple; we defend our port. It's more vital that we keep trade going than we keep our alliance going," Madara stated bluntly however Hashirama seemed distressed by this.

"No way, Madara, you know that the Uzumaki have been allied with my clan for many years and I refuse to abandon them," Hashirama countered.

"Hashirama, the village comes above the clan. Dammit, you're too naïve! Your candidacy should be dropped for you even thinking of helping them!" the Uchiha snapped.

"I agree with Madara, the village comes first however..."

"I'll go by myself then. These are the relatives of my wife and I will not let them suffer," he declared suddenly. "Or rather I _can not _let them suffer,"

"Go kill yourself then! It hardly bothers me!"

"If you feel so strongly though, Hashirama, perhaps we should go to Uzushiogakure..." the Daimyo said as though he was deep in thought.

"Don't be ridiculous! My children could make this decision! It does not take 3 leaders standing in a room debating!" Madara could feel he was beginning to lose his grip on the Daimyo who had a habit of switching sides, he wondered if it was just to toy with him.

"I'm not willing to lose an alliance over this," Hibiki looked up at him. "I'm afraid that you'll have to go to Uzushiogakure,"

"Then I refuse! I'll be going to the port!" Madara finally did it. 4 years of being strung along..._Years _of hanging around with Hashirama, of being used like a dog and Madara's patience had finally disappeared and he was only surprised that it hadn't happened earlier. "I'm not being led along by this naïve fool while other people suffer!"

"And I refuse to abandon people who are loyal to Konoha!"

"You two have no choice! You forget that this is neither your village, Madara, nor yours, Hashirama, but it is in fact still _mine_,"

Madara was too fuming to even stay, he stormed out of the room without another word, leaving Hashirama very concerned about him and Hibiki very disappointed in him.

"He can't follow orders he doesn't agree with," Hibiki sighed. "Even with a wife and two children, he's not changed,"

"Give him a chance, Hibiki-sama, he's always done very well up until now," Hashirama countered.

"Why do you always insist I give him a chance? It's almost like you don't want to become Hokage yourself,"

"I do it's just...I know how much this means to him as well. I realise he's reckless but he makes sense," Hashirama sighed.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was fast asleep in the living room when Madara got in and despite slamming the door open she didn't even stir.<p>

"Hey!" Madara yelled. "Wake up!" now she stirred, slowly lifting her head up.

"What?"

"Who's looking after the twins?" he asked angrily. She blinked a few times, trying to process what he was saying. "Yuki!"

"I'm looking after the twins, I must have nodded off," Yukiko yawned. "I thought you had a meeting,"

"I left." He checked the rooms quickly.

"Why did you leave?" she asked, following him.

"It doesn't matter, the twins are gone, you stupid idiot!"

* * *

><p>"Ri...We should go home," Ren whined, following Ritsuko through the woods. "Dad's gonna be mad,"<p>

"It's just a game! He won't be mad," Ritsuko promised with a smile. "Don't be sad, Ren, scaredy cat!"

"I am not!" Ren argued. "I'm way more brave than you, Ri!"

"Prove it!"

"Fine! I'll go up ahead! See how brave I am!" Ren snapped, finally losing his temper with his sister. "I'm way more brave." he ran on ahead of her.

"Ren! Wait! No! Slow down!" she attempted to run after him but fell over, by the time she had pulled herself to her feet he was gone. "Ren! Ren! Where are you?" she called, feeling a wave of panic now. "Dad! Ma!" she turned around and immediately headed for where she thought was home.

* * *

><p>"What kind of mother are you?" Madara asked furiously.<p>

"I was tired, you knew I was tired. I screwed up, Madara, I'm sorry!" Yukiko seemed on the verge of tears. "Hayate!" she snapped as they reached his house. "You seen Ren and Ritsuko?" the guard opened the door with a baffled look.

"No. Why?"

"Why would we be asking, you idiot?" Madara punched Hayate to the ground.

"Hey!" Yukiko grabbed his arm. "Don't take it out on him,"

"You'd rather I punch you?"

"Madara-sama, what's going on?" Atsuko appeared from Hayate's room. The worried parents exchanged confused looks.

"What're you doing here?" Madara was the first to ask. Atsuko suddenly looked flustered.

"I was just talking to Hayate. I'm not ignoring my duties. The children are missing? Why haven't you asked Aoi and Takehiko to help track them?" the maid asked, regaining her calm demeanour.

"They're children so detecting their chakra signals would be difficult at their age due to, you know, hardly having any," Yukiko explained.

"I can try." A new voice spoke from behind them.

"Takehiko!" Yukiko grabbed the young man's arm. "Oh my, Takehiko!" Madara grunted and rolled his eyes. He was angry for another reason now. His gifted sensor, Aoi, hadn't progressed nearly as much as Takehiko who was Yukiko's gifted sensor.

"Fine, you try and find them," Madara sighed, it wasn't like they had many options.

"You got any idea where I should look?" Takehiko asked with a smile.

"No. It'll have been Ritsuko's idea, Ren doesn't like leaving home," Madara stated before frowning. "Dragons."

"Dragons?" Yukiko laughed slightly. "What about them?"

"I may have told Ritsuko that a dragon lived in the woods and that's why she shouldn't go into the woods by herself," Madara admitted quietly so only Yukiko could hear him.

"You told our daughter with an over-active imagination that there was a _dragon _in the woods! Now who's the idiot? What kind of father are you? She's ran off into the woods to find a dragon! A dragon!" Yukiko shrieked. The Uchiha leader suppressed his anger for a moment. "Oh god! Madara, you remember what's in there don't you?" She had vivid images in her mind of the Kyuubi.

"It's not like I told her to go!"

"But by telling her about the...stupid dragon in the woods what did you think she'd do?" she punched his arm before turning to Takehiko. "We're going to go search the woods,"

* * *

><p>Ren ran forward for longer than he'd wanted to he noticed that the sky was beginning to get dark. He didn't like the dark. He wasn't like his father who could see in the dark...He was scared.<p>

He stopped, looking around. The trees seemed to be looming over him, he yelled out for his parents but he'd lost his way a long time ago. He started to tremble.

"Dad..." he whispered. Suddenly hearing a deep growling from behind him, he stumbled back and began to whimper. "Help...Please..."

* * *

><p>"I can't quite get a fixed point!" Takehiko told them. "It's so damn hard..."<p>

Yukiko leapt onto the ground. "Ice Threads!" the threads spread out and she had a sudden look of horror. "2 miles north east...There's a pack of wolves...Madara, it's Ren!" Madara disappeared in a flash while she urgently tried to follow. "Go find Ritsuko!" she ordered Takehiko before following her husband.

* * *

><p>"No..." Ren curled up as he heard the growling intensifying. "Go away..." there was a burning pain in his arm all of a sudden. He screamed, looking down, all he could see was the wolf's jaws clamped on his arm. He tried to hit the wolf away.<p>

And then the wolf recoiled in pain, yelping loudly as it did so, a kunai wedged deeply in its leg. It shook its head and began to back away.

"Ren, move!" he heard his father shout and yet he couldn't, his eyes didn't leave the darkened image of the wolf. "Ren, move, dammit!" Madara leapt over where his son was lying. "Fireball jutsu!" an enormous fireball engulfed where the wolf pack had been. In moments, the wolves were gone.

Ren was still lying on the ground, trembling and crying.

"You idiot! Why didn't you move when I told you to?" Madara snapped, kneeling down next to Ren.

"I couldn't...I wanted to but I...It hurts," Ren sobbed. Madara shredded the bottom of his shirt and tied it tightly around the bite wound. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

"It's..." Madara sighed, picking Ren up. "It's okay, Ren, I've just had a really bad day,"

"Don't hate me," Ren buried his head into his father's neck.

"You're my only son. I'm not going to hate you because you made a mistake," he whispered, carrying Ren back home with him. "You'll make a lot more when you're leader of the Uchiha,"

* * *

><p>"But papa said..."<p>

"Your father lied! He was trying to keep you out of the woods! Your brother could have _died _do you know what that means?" Yukiko shrieked at Ritsuko who had her head bowed. "You are not leaving my sight for a month! Go and say sorry to Ren!"

"Papa tell her..."

"No, Ritsuko. Your brother is seriously hurt, how dare you disobey me and look what happens when you do," Madara said firmly. "Go to bed, now,"

"I'm hungry!"

"Now!" Yukiko and Madara yelled in unison. As soon as Ritsuko was gone, Minoru appeared at the door.

"You're lucky you're so fast, Madara-sama, the wolf didn't manage to break the bone completely in his arm. Kids are springy, he'll heal up just fine all I had to do is give him a couple of stitches," Minoru explained with a frown though. "I'd just watch for infection and he's in shock right now. I suggest his father stay by him, he seems to have some sort of irrational fears right now and you're a pillar of strength for him,"

"I don't need you to tell me how to raise me own son," Madara warned darkly before Minoru left.

"So what happened today?" Yukiko asked him all of a sudden which seemed to take him by surprise. "Why did you leave the meeting?"

"Hashirama was being naïve. I'm done being a toy for the Daimyo," he massaged his temple as he took in a deep breath. "Apparently...I can't be patient,"

"You're probably just burnt out, you've been working really hard lately and not to mention...it's that time of year again,"

"If you're about to mention it _don't. _I've moved on with my life," he said sternly, giving her a narrowed eyed look.

"You could talk about it from time to time. They don't even know you had a brother," Yukiko countered, sounding polite but to him it sounded condescending.

"They don't need to know, it doesn't affect their life in any way. They don't know you had a clan, would you like to tell them about that?" he retorted, now she was glaring at him.

"That's different. When they're older I'll explain to them that I moved here after my clan was wiped out and I won't tell them about the Uchiha though. Your mission is safe with me in case they reject the clan," she explained, touching his arm.

"Why do you bring up Izuna all the time? I ask you over and over again not to bring him up and you do anyway,"

"I just want you to...tell me how you feel for a change. I want you to open up and talk to me," she said half-pleadingly.

"This conversation again? I'm fed up with this. They don't need to nor will they ever know about Izuna. I don't want to talk about it because it's in the past where everything else is. I'm not you, I don't need to talk about how I feel because I deal with it by myself," Madara growled with an almost savage tone.

"Don't tell me about..."

"Dad, who's Izuna?" a tiny voice from the door asked. "Are you fighting?" Ren opened the door a bit more, his arm in a sling and bandaged.

"We're not fighting, Ren, I was just..." Yukiko looked at Madara for a moment. "I was just upsetting daddy. And I'll tell you about Izuna one day but for..."

"I had a younger brother. His name was Izuna and he's not around anymore. Go to bed," Madara ordered, walked to the door.

"You had a nasty shock today. You need to sleep. The more you sleep the less your arm will hurt," Yukiko soothed, faking a placid smile.

"I'm really sorry, dad, I wet the bed. Can I sleep with you tonight?"

Madara inwardly sighed. "Of course, go get in bed, I'll be in there in a minute," Ren quickly made his way to their bedroom. "He can stay for one night,"

"Madara, he was attacked by a wolf. He can stay as long as he needs to stay," Yukiko argued. "I'll go sort out his bedsheets. Try and remember, he's not you. He's a very sensitive boy,"

"Only because you treat him like one," he scoffed. "Don't even talk to Ritsuko, remember she's being punished for her mother's negligence," he added before he went to bed.

Yukiko didn't attempt to make a reply, she slowly crept into the twins room.

"Ma, are you mad at me?" She ignored it, heading to Ren's bed. "You hate me. I'm really sorry about Ren!" her lip quivered slightly however she tried to stay strong. "Please don't hate me..."

* * *

><p><em>"I get it, you're angry at me for making a stupid decision!" a seventeen year old Yukiko snapped at her mother. "Do you hate me or something?" her mother didn't try to reply. "You do, don't you?"<em>

_"I'm going to bed. You...You lead the clan however you want, Yukiko. But your father wouldn't be happy with you right now,"_

_"Mother! Be mad at me all you want but..." her mother slammed a door in her face. "You don't have to take your love away too..."_

* * *

><p>"I could never hate you, Ritsuko," Yukiko turned around. "But I'm very upset right now and I need you to learn to calm down and listen to what other people tell you. Do you know now why your father told you not to go into the woods alone?"<p>

"I didn't want Ren to get hurt," Ritsuko wept. "I'm really sorry," Yukiko knelt down next to her bed and hugged her daughter.

"I know you are. You need to start listening to us, Ri, we only tell you not to do things because we're trying to protect you. We love you both very much,"

"Papa doesn't say it," Ritsuko pointed out. "You say it lots but he doesn't,"

"Yes well your father is an idiot. A smart man, a genius even, but he's an idiot as well," Yukiko comforted.

"Yukiko! I can hear you!" Madara yelled from the other room. She rolled her eyes.

"Sometimes I wish I could kill him..." she muttered under her breath before realising what she'd said. "I love your father very much though," she got up and walked to the door. "Go to sleep, Ritsuko, we're going to have a very long talk tomorrow," Ritsuko hid under her bedsheets as her mother said this.

Ren, on the other hand, was feeling slightly better lying in between his parents even if they weren't on speaking terms at that particular moment. It happened often enough, sometimes lasting days. Yukiko was sitting up with paperworks on her lap, reading over various files while Madara was honestly trying to sleep hoping that in the morning the day's events would have disappeared completely.

"It's your fault," Madara scoffed. "You realise that, don't you?"

"No, it's _our _fault. Blame is nearly always something that can be shared," Yukiko countered passively before giving him a look of mild anger.

"I was only trying to help, you were being..."

"Human." She cut him off. "It's natural for someone to fall asleep when they're tired,"

Ren burrowed down into the bedsheets, worrying he'd get caught in their crossfire.

"You're a kunoichi,"

"Oh!" she threw down the file she'd been holding. "When there's a mission, I'm your wife, when I'm supposed to be looking after the children, I'm a kunoichi. I think you're very much mistaken, Madara. You, on the other hand, are free to roam the world killing and maiming various rebels and spies,"

"Protecting the village that you all live in! What do you want from me, Yukiko?" he asked fiercely.

"A mission every once in a while! A chance to keep my skills sharp. I apologise for falling asleep but it's your fault as well and I'm...bored!"

"Stop it!" Ren yelled from under the sheets. "Just stop! Don't fight..."

There was silence. Yukiko staring at Madara for a moment before laughing slightly.

"Don't laugh," Madara said, rolling his eyes. "I've got a mission in a few days. We could get Hayate to look after the kids and go together? Then I can keep an eye on you,"

"I'd love that." Yukiko agreed before putting the files off of the bed and pulling the bedsheets back slightly. "Oh, I think I've lost our son again..." she joked playfully.

"I'm not lost, Ma," Ren whispered. "I'm here. Will my arm be fixed?"

"Did Minoru tell you it'd be all better in a few weeks?" Yukiko asked, inspecting his bandages and sling.

"Uncle Minoru is crazy." Ren muttered.

"He is but he's a very good friend to me," Yukiko comforted however Madara grunted in disagreement.

"If anything should happen to us, Ren, never become like that spineless coward. He's not even a proper shinobi," he scoffed.

"Why not? He seems nice,"

"Because Minoru is the worst type of man. Annoying _and _useless," Madara chose to ignore the glares of his wife now.

"However he means well," she added sternly.

"I don't know what you mean...Can I go to sleep?" Ren asked, hugging Madara who seemed hesitant to return the gesture. He chose to gently pat Ren's back.

"Fine, we'll turn out the lights and stop arguing," Madara begrudgingly agreed however Ren had one request.

"Then kiss and make up. Prove you won't argue,"

Ren was lucky to be Madara's _only _son at that moment. The Uchiha Leader submitted, quickly kissing Yukiko. Ren gave a satisfied laugh, curling up between his parents.

"Your fault," Madara murmured rather childishly, low enough that Ren barely heard him.

"Yours too,"

"Prove it."

* * *

><p>They were awoken by a rapid thudding on their front door, Yukiko was the first to get up and open it. It was Hashirama looking incredibly flustered.<p>

"Oh, Yukiko! Is Madara in or has he gone to training already?" he asked, panting slightly.

"Erm, he's in but I doubt he wants to see you..." Yukiko replied with a sceptical look before shaking her head. "You want me to pass something on?"

"Only...that the Daimyo would like it to be known there'll be serious repercussions for what he did yesterday," Hashirama told her with a rather sad look. "Can you get him to apologise?"

"Apologise? I very much doubt Madara will apologise...Leave it with me and I'll see what I can do," Yukiko promised, shutting the door.

"Ma, dad's in trouble," Ren appeared next to her, nearly scaring the life out of her.

"I'll deal with it. Why are you always awake so early?" she asked, walking her son back to her bedroom. "Stay in there. When your father wakes up tell him I've gone out, can you do that for me, Ren?"

"Can't I talk to Ri? I miss her," Ren looked behind him to his own room.

"Alright, go talk to Ri but when your father wakes up, remember to tell him that I've gone out, okay?" Ren nodded and Yukiko ran out of the house.

As much as it seemed like undermining Madara, Yukiko couldn't help but go fight his case to the Daimyo. As determined as Madara was to become Hokage, he was unlikely to apologise for his behaviour which he saw as justified. In a way, she saw it that way as well. He _had _been strung along all this time and he had played his part well but she understood that he was being penalised for a mistake which was less of a mistake and more of a character flaw on Madara's behalf. He had a short temper, everyone knew that and he wasn't the type to bow to authority but it hardly seemed fair that he should be punished for it. She did, as she stood outside the Daimyo's office, wonder if Madara had done something wrong though but she pushed it to the back of her mind for the time being as she was called in.

"Yukiko, I'm quite surprised to see you here," Hibiki said, seeming to be genuine.

"Yes, well, forgive me for turning up without an appointment however I felt I had to. Allow me to apologise on my husband's behalf for his behaviour yesterday which, as I understand, was completely uncalled for. As you know he has much too much pride to do so himself but I..."

"Thought it'd help his pride if his wife came and did his talking for him?" Hibiki was quick to cut her off, leaving her slightly disrupted in flow. "Look, let's be honest here, 4 years I've had Madara under close watch and he's not going to change now, is he, Yukiko?"

"Hibiki-sama, Madara is very stressed out right now and..."

"You've come to make excuses, Yukiko, well I thought that was below you but apparently not!" Hibiki suddenly snapped angrily. "Why should he not be punished like everyone else? Because he's special?"

"Because he's right for the job." She stated very firmly, her eyes had a look of ice to them. "If you aren't willing to excuse a little outburst after 4 years of being strung along, Hibiki-sama, then perhaps you're not right for the job of choosing who leads this village." As soon as the words escaped her she regretted them. She immediately wanted to take them back and apologise but it was far too late now.

"How dare you speak to me like that! Your aunt was right, you _have _spent far too long with Madara and all it seems to have taught you is utter insolence!" he yelled, standing up from behind his desk. "Fine. You want to know my choice? Hashirama Senju will be the obvious leader for this village. Now get out!" She was going to stand her ground and fight more for him but realised that so far all she'd done was...completely ruin everything. Yukiko slowly backed out of the room before running out of the building, cursing herself repeatedly.

Tobirama grabbed her arm suddenly, Yukiko instantly going to kick him, thinking he was attempting to hurt her. He blocked her kick before shaking his head.

"Yukiko, you seem very...annoyed," he pointed out as she seemed to calm down.

"It's nothing. I don't have time for you right now." She told him outright, glaring at him before rushing back home. She stopped partway. She hadn't considered what to do next...Tell Madara? Hide from him? Where exactly was safe from Madara anyway? He'd go anywhere in the name of vengeance. She decided not to hide completely. She just decided she needed to go and think this through, walking through those same woods she'd been in looking desperately for her children the night before.

Deep in thought Yukiko started to rationalise. She had ruined Madara's chances...Yes. However he would still retain leadership over the Uchiha and a lot of influence over decisions made in the village. He'd hardly see that as a plus though when the alternative would have been have _all _influence over the decisions made. Something was making her lose focus over her thoughts though.

"You shinobi aren't from this village...are you?" Yukiko asked, turning around and looking up in the trees. "Show yourself at once..." Nothing. Just a faint rustling of the wind in the trees. She smirked. "Kiyoshi!" her sword appeared in her hand. "Spreading Ice jutsu!" everywhere around her was instantly frozen over. She looked around. "I'll ask again, you're not from here, are you?" Several shinobi broke cover but she couldn't quite make out their headbands.

"Ice. Looks like we've stumbled on Yukiko Ginhana," one of them announced to the others.

"That's Yukiko Uchiha, actually," Yukiko corrected politely. "I'm going to assume you lost your way. Go back to wherever the hell you came from because we don't take too kindly to spies around here,"

"She married a hotshot and now she reckons she's one too," another shinobi scoffed. Yukiko rolled her eyes.

"I'll have you know that I was once leader of the Ginhana clan," she noticed their headbands now. "You're from Kumogakure. Right, well, north west is..." one of the shinobis jumped to attack her, without even flinching Kiyoshi built up a wall of ice and deflected the attack. "That way, yes," she pointed behind her. "Leave. Now." she warned, venom in her voice. "My patience is wearing thin today,"

"You cocky little bitch," another one went to strike her, this time she dodged.

"Pride and cockiness are two very different things," she weaved several hand signs. "Ice threads!" one shinobi skidded behind her, not finding good grip on the ice and he was quickly subdued with her threads. "I'm not the type to kill people, but keep attacking me and you'll really be pushing your luck," she threatened, feeling her blood boil. Today really wasn't her day. Spies happened from time to time. It was officially a peaceful time but that didn't stop some villages feeling uneasy about others.

"Pushing our luck? You've got no idea, do you?" the captain of the team asked.

"If you explain instead of mindlessly attacking me...I would have an idea of what's going on and then I'd be able to help. I'm not unreasonable,"

"This is the only village with no kage. It's such an easy target to attack, I'd watch my back if I were you," the captain grabbed the tied up shinobi and called his teammates off before disappearing in a flash of smoke.

Yukiko sighed, sitting down on a mound of ice with her head in her hands. She didn't know how long she was sat there but by the time she lifted her head it was dark and she was no closer to finding the answer to what she was going to do, how she was going to explain what she'd done.

"Yuki?" she looked over to where Madara was stood, glaring at her. "Where the hell have you been all day?"

"Here, actually. I had some things to think about..." she stood up and found herself unable to return his gaze.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing."

"Don't lie. 5 years we've been married and 6 years I've known you. You run away when you've done something. I've had enough of the kids disappearing, I don't need you doing it as well," Madara snapped as he approached her. "What happened here?"

"Kumogakure spies. They're gone now, me and Kiyoshi dealt with them," she told him with a tired tone. He seemed angry with her still though.

"Hashirama turned up this morning, said something about me and the Daimyo and then you disappeared. What happened?" she seemed unable to answer him. "Tell me _now_!"

"I went to see the Daimyo...He seems to be very angry with me and you. He's decided that Hashirama is the obvious choice for Hokage."

She expected a lot of things. What she hadn't expected was that he'd be silent and that was far more frightening than him yelling and breaking things. It was suppressed anger. An anger that could be unleashed at any time and without warning.

He walked off, towards their home without even looking back at her to see if she was following. She did regardless. She had no choice really and all of a sudden those 6 years seemed to have disappeared and she was back to where she started.

Yukiko felt totally unsure of what was going to happen or when. But there was no way Madara was going to roll over and accept Hashirama being picked over him. Ever.

* * *

><p><strong>Is this the beginning of the end? <em>Well, Kai, yes it is. I hope you come back for more commentary. <em>Since there's a sequel, I probably will. So will you! _Wait...there's a sequel? _It's called Shattered Ice. And there's not much to say about it except it's completely different from this story. **

**_Question: Oh dear reader, will you return for the sequel? _**

**__Next chapter: Your Eyes That Choose Not To See!**


	58. Your Eyes That Choose Not To See!

I'm so sorry! I know this is late! I really do! But I was busy with family stuff and what not. And it's so close to Christmas and Madara's birthday and I've been trying to write something for that and then I got so...confused that I got Writer's Block and I've only just finished a chapter. Forgive meeeee! -sobs-

Chapter Title: Far by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: Was walking through the shopping centre last week. There were some carol singers and one of the carols was called "Kay doesn't own Naruto but owns Yukiko, her other characters and her plot...la la la la" what a mouthful!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Eight<strong>

**Your Eyes That Choose Not To See**

Ren and Ritsuko sat in the dining room, both were silent not only because of what had happened the night before but because their parents weren't talking. In fact, one of them was absent. Madara had gone straight to bed.

"Ma..." Ritsuko began nervously. She could see her mother's eyes were watering and she wasn't eating. "Don't fight."

"We aren't fighting." she muttered rather absently. "If you're done eating, you two should get to bed," the twins nodded at each other and left.

"Hey, Yukiko," Minoru appeared at the door. "I heard you had an altercation with the Daimyo today. You wanna talk about it, cousin?"

"Not really. I'm going to bed," she got up and walked past him.

"That's not the way to your bed," Minoru was quick to point out as she walked into the lounge and laid out the futon. "Erm, Yukiko?"

"I'm going to bed, like I told you. I'm not going in _there. _Not after what I've done,"

"You're punishing yourself?"

"Maybe..." she shrugged. "I can't see how it matters to you, Minoru, leave,"

"Yukiko, you may think I'm a spineless coward who knows nothing..."

"I _know _you're a spineless coward who knows nothing," she firmly correctly as she laid down.

"Right well, explain to Madara that you didn't mean to ruin his chances and that you just wanted to help," Minoru ignored what she'd said, sitting down next to her.

"You think it's that easy? You think that I can just walk in there and say I didn't mean to? I think he realises that however it's not the intention he's angry about, it's the result that's the only think he ever cares about. There's no point trying your best if the end result is failure,"

"But your his wife," he countered.

"All the more reason why failure isn't tolerated. Now leave me alone,"

Minoru rolled his eyes and obeyed her wish however as he got to the front door he turned and had a sudden change of heart. But instead of going back to comfort Yukiko he went to see Madara. He was either stupid or suicidal.

"You got a minute?" Minoru asked as he slowly entered the room, leaning against the door he'd just slid shut. He could feel his heart pounding now. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

"No."

"W-well, I'm going to talk anyway!" Minoru really did try to be brave, he'd been training with Madara long enough now to know when to dodge. He hoped. "You can't punish Yukiko for trying to help you, that hardly seems fair,"

"She's my wife and I'll do with her what I will," Madara scoffed, sitting up and turning to face Minoru.

"You talk about her like you own her...Well maybe you do but you've never done that before," now he was getting scared, as soon as he saw the Sharingan focus on him he felt a shiver down his spine. "She's the mother of your children and she was only trying to help you because you never help yourself in these sorts of situations,"

"I'd rather not take advice from a spineless, needy, pathetic fool like you, Minoru, so I suggest you leave. _Now,_" Madara warned, his Sharingan morphing to his Mangekyou Sharingan.

"It must be nice being able to control everyone with fear and threats and your stupid eyes but unfortunately, I'm not going to be silenced today because I'm standing up for..." his left arm hurt...really hurt...an intense pain that was suddenly all he could focus on. He screamed, falling to his knees. He glanced at the fire...Black flames. He'd seen them but the heat was far more excruciating.

The flames were suddenly encased in ice and although it didn't stop the burning, it did stop it from spreading.

"Seal it." Yukiko demanded as she walked past Minoru, glaring at Madara. "Before the children come in and see what's going on!" A few moments later and Minoru was a whimpering puppy on the floor, the muscles in his left arm charred and exposed. "How dare you! Minoru came in here to talk to you and you...you..." Yukiko seemed unable to contain her frustrations. "You took out your anger on him! Just like when you hit Hayate and just like you storming out of that meeting! It's crap like that that gets you into the mess you're in right now! Not me! You've no one else to blame but your stupid temper and arrogance and not to mention your inability to realise that you can't have everything you want without just...biting your tongue! You need to learn some damn self control! You're an adult and for goodness sake you're a father now! Be angry at me all you like but admit at least that you bring a lot of your troubles onto yourself!" Yukiko yelled, although she tried to have some control over her volume as she was ever so conscious that their children were intently listening.

"Oh and you're just the perfect one, are you, Yukiko?" Madara had no such thing on his mind, he was more than happy to raise his voice. "You sit here and do nothing by criticize in that smug tone of yours like you're trying to advise me. You make pointless demands and think the world owes you something. Well just because your father gave up and let himself get killed by the pathetic Senju doesn't mean anyone in this world even owes you sympathy!"

Oh he'd seen many angry looks from Yukiko but this was a far fiercer one.

"The fact you'd even think to bring up a man far superior to yourself is low, even for you. My father was a thousand times the man you'd ever be!" she spat, grabbing Minoru's collar and pulling him up. "I'm leaving. My original assessment had been correct. You're a sick and twisted manic who has to have everything done the way you want it!"

Madara grabbed Yukiko. "You really think I'd let you speak to me that way and just leave?" he hissed angrily before she attempted to hit him. He was quick to smack her, proving he still had the ability to get her on the floor with a single hit.

"I made a mistake but you've made a mistake as well!" Yukiko argued, pulling herself up. Her eyes were watering but she wouldn't dare let him know he'd gotten to her. "I'm not coming back until you admit you were wrong!"

Madara went to hit her again and the only thing that stopped him was a cry of outrage from two tiny voices at the door.

"Papa, don't hurt Ma!" Ritsuko repeated rather firmly. "Don't!"

"My arm...please...my arm..." Minoru managed to utter.

Yukiko saw her chance "I'm leaving." She insisted her voice shaking though, she grabbed Minoru's good arm and led him out. Madara couldn't release his anger. Instead he immediately ordered his children to go to bed, which Ren did however Ritsuko was much too persistent.

"Where's Ma going?"

"She's staying with Minoru."

"Why?"

"Because I don't want her here and she doesn't want to be here,"

"Why?"

"Because we had a fight,"

"Why?"

"Because your mother is an interfering woman and I don't like that," Madara was hoping this would silence his daughter while always knowing it wouldn't. If he'd watched his mother walk away with another man after hearing a screaming fight between the two he'd have questions as well.

* * *

><p>Yukiko slammed the door shut to Minoru's bedroom. He laid down in bed, hissing and panting in pain.<p>

"Yukiko, ice please!" he pleaded with her. She glared at him before ice encased his arm again. "Thank you...Ah thank you!"

"I'll go sleep in your study."

"Wait! Are you okay? He hit you pretty hard," Minoru called after her. "I mean, I've been on the receiving end of one of his punches and I can't say I was okay afterwards,"

"I'm not you," she curtly left the room with Minoru feeling guilty. He'd made the situation a lot worse by confronting Madara and he wasn't sure why he was surprised.

Or maybe this had been boiling under the surface, he wasn't quite sure either way the only thing he was certain that with his new found courage he had made a bad situation far worse and for that he was going to make up for it...somehow.

* * *

><p>Yukiko laid down on the spare futon in Minoru's study and allowed herself to just curl up and sob while she desperately thought of ways to make this better. However she was drawing blanks. She was, after all, the cause of all of this and perhaps this was what she deserved because of her actions.<p>

* * *

><p>Madara woke up, rolling onto his side. He felt someone else in his bed. He smirked, Yukiko must have caved already and come running back ready to apologise. He opened his eyes slightly only to find it was two people in his bed and they were NOT his wife.<p>

"Papa, where's breakfast?" Ritsuko asked impatiently. "You didn't come to wake us up!"

"I can't make you breakfast. I've got to work," Madara told her bluntly, getting up.

"Who's gonna make breakfast?" She pressed, jumping up onto the bed. "I'm hungry! Where's Ma?"

"She's at Minoru's house still. I'll find someone to look after you while I'm gone," he explained. Ren seemed to be more sullen than usual. "Ren?"

"My arm hurts. I don't want dad to leave too," Ren muttered to Ritsuko however Madara heard him.

He thought for a moment before making a decision. "If we have breakfast you have to come with me to the office but only if you behave," Ritsuko instantly agreed but Ren seemed doubtful.

"Dad...when's ma coming back?" He asked quietly. "Can't you go say sorry?"

"No. I'm not saying sorry," Madara firmly told him.

"You tell us to say sorry!" Ritsuko countered. "We fight and then you tell us to say sorry! Go and say sorry! You made Ma cry!"

"This is hardly behaving well, is it?" Madara snapped angrily. "I will deal with your mother! I'll go talk to her later,"

"Say sorry." Ren whispered.

"I can't. Adults have different rules than children," he was going to stick to this new excuse now.

"Adults have stupid rules." Ritsuko sulked as they all headed to the kitchen to eat. "Ma gives us omelette and fried rice!"

"Alright..."

"And it needs sauce! And then we have biscuits!"

"Ritsuko. Go sit down and be quiet." Madara demanded, feeling his patience slowly draining already and he'd barely woken up!

* * *

><p>Yukiko woke up, getting up from the futon almost immediately. Something in her told her to go check on her children, something she'd do every morning but...she couldn't bring herself to. Not because she didn't love her children but because she was still fiercely angry and if she went to see them she'd see Madara and had a feeling the argument from before would take place all over again.<p>

Not to mention that she didn't want to deal with that smug look on his face every time she caved to him.

"Yukiko!" Minoru called from his bedroom. "I can't move my arm!" And besides...she had a new child to care for apparently.

"Minoru, what happened to you not being a spineless coward?" She asked dully, finding Minoru under his bedsheets like usual. She quickly snatched them from him. "This is stupid. I'm not in the mood to deal with you," she tried to leave the room but Minoru sat up.

"Wait. My arm, can you just bandage it for me? I can't do it myself,"

Yukiko couldn't argue with that logic, she sighed and grabbed bandages from his bag.

"Do I need to put oitment on it?"

"A little bit, yes. Or then I'll get an infection and I'd rather not," Minoru explained, holding his arm out to her and wincing as she was starting to wrap his arm up. "That stings, it may need amputation if it doesn't start healing up in the next week or so," he added, watching her carefully. "So when you going back to Madara?"

"I'm not." Minoru laughed at this. "What?"

"I've known you for 5 and a half years, cousin, I know the routine. You two argue, you come to mine, we talk and then you leave and beg for his forgiveness. It's quite sad, really," Minoru told her flatly.

"I feel like I have to apologise and fight his corner. He hasn't got Izuna anymore so..."

"Oh I get it now. You're trying to make up for _his_ brother dying somewhere you were nowhere near and can I ask you something?" He asked with a smirk. "Did Izuna disagree with Madara?"

"Of course he did, it's all he ever did to keep Madara on track! But that's not what this is about. He respected Izuna, he doesn't respect me as his wife. To him I just popped out his kids and I look good in the eyes of the Daimyo and look at this mess. I'm not good in the Daimyo's eyes anymore and now I'm useless to him but I'm going to try talk to him eventually for the children and for myself," Yukiko explained with a rather angry tone as she finished bandaging his arm. She then stood up. "I want to see the twins though..."

"You shouldn't let him stand in the way of seeing your own children," Minoru informed her however there was a nagging thought in his head that he'd rather she stay with him and take care of his. He had a feeling a suspicion she wasn't running back as fast as usual and if he was right he wanted Yukiko alone.

"I know but I..." There was a knock at Minoru's front door. She quickly made her way over to the door and found Ritsuko looking up at her.

"Ma what does 'I'm going to throttle you' mean?" She asked immediately before laughing. "Papa says funny things,"

"Erm...it means don't ask your father lots of questions," Yukiko looked around. "Where's your father and brother?" She asked with a frown.

"They're away with Genshi," Ritsuko shrugged, walking into the house straight past her confused mother. "Dad said 'Ritsuko if you don't stop asking me questions I'm gonna throttle you!' and then he took me here, told me to knock for me and left. Where's Uncle Minoru?"

"He's inside, darling, go see him and tell him I'm going out," Yukiko knelt down and pulled Ritsuko to facing her. "Are you upset about something?"

"Dad made us breakfast all wrong!"

"Your father is a better cook than I am though," she reminded her daughter however she knew that no children was all that welcoming to change.

"He won't say sorry to you! Your face..." Ritsuko placed her hand over her mother's swollen cheek. "It looks ow!"

"I'm very sorry, Ritsuko that you had to see me and him fight,"

"See! You can say sorry! Go say sorry to papa! He'll say sorry to you! Then make me breakfast!" Ristuko demanded with narrowed eyes. Yukiko couldn't help but laugh slightly, oh to be an innocent child again.

"I'll...talk to him but breakfast time is gone now,"

* * *

><p>Madara sat in his office, hard at work while Ren was sat by the door.<p>

"What's wrong, Ren? This will be your office one day,"

"I wanna go home. My arm hurts and I miss Ri," Ren sulked. "I'm bored..."

"Well I've got to work and your mother is off with another man and Ritsuko," Madara reminded Ren, who moved over to Madara's desk.

"Ma takes us out to walk around and play with Aiko,"

"Go out there and play with Aiko's dad then," he gestured towards the door which promptly opened.

"Ren, go outside," Yukiko bluntly told him. Ren didn't even hesitate to run out of the room, guessing something bad was going to happen. "Of course, send our daughter over to me and keep Ren here. Listen to me, Madara, they are _twins _and they have always done _everything _together, you can't separate them like that. Poor Ren looks so lost. You can't split them up! I know that Ritsuko is difficult but you need patience,"

"I'm actually going to ignore you until you leave, Yukiko," Madara interrupted her. "Genshi! Escort my wife back to her...cousin's house,"

Yukiko turned quickly. "Surging Barricade!" A large block of ice completely froze the door in place. "We may not be on the best of terms right now but we are going to talk just so the children aren't dragged into this,"

Madara stared at her, then the block of ice, then back to her. "You're quite possibly the single most annoying person in the Uchiha since Raimei went missing. Give up this damn stupid protest of yours and do your job," he spat, standing up from behind his desk.

"My job? I'm a kunoichi and I've not done 'my job' for years now. I'm at home, dealing with your clan, which is your job, and your children who are your responsibility as well. And look, not even a day in and Ritsuko is at Minoru's because you threatened to strangle her. You need to get past your anger and pride and deal with the fact that you lost out because of those two flaws of yours!"

"I can't see how being proud is a flaw! And I can't see how you can do 'my job' and take care of 'my responsibilities' when you let our children run out and get mauled by a pack of wolves!" Madara fiercely argued, his aforementioned temper not being able to be contained. And to hell if it proved her right! She was clearly angry herself anyway so it was only fair for him to act the same. Eye for an eye after all...

"Mauled by a pack of wolves? I never abandoned my daughter because she was being a bit difficult! And when you talk to Ren do you ever not mention him succeeding you as leader of the Uchiha? He's four years old and you're pressuring him already! You suffocate him and that's why he acts so nervous around you! You just don't...ever...stop being a control freak!"

"You never stop playing the victim! Look at poor Yukiko Ginhana! It's been over 6 years now, Yukiko, you can't keeping hanging onto the fact your clan is dead forever!"

"I love how defensive you get that as soon as it seems like someone is attacking you, you start pulling out everything you know will piss them off!"

The air was thick now as both of them stood glaring, Yukiko boldly looking into his Sharingan. She knew that at any moment if he wanted to he could put her into that...burning world again...but her own pride blocked it out. Her stupid pride from the looks of things.

"That is called knowing someone's weak spots and surprisingly enough it's a basic shinobi technique so, my _dear _wife, I'd advise you to think about whether that makes me a bad person or a person far superior that you," he snarled as he approached her, practically looming over her. Now her pride failed her. She had a horrible feeling in her gut. It was like those 5 years had never happened and she was back as his hostage. She wanted to back away slightly, almost wondering how she'd fooled herself into thinking Madara wasn't capable of switching back to the same terrifying man he'd been all those years ago.

Yukiko couldn't handle it, the ice blocking the door smashed and she retreated, her heart pounding as she did so. Ren watched his mother run out of the office before looking back at his clearly irate father.

"Just...say you're sorry." He whispered.

"It's not that easy, Ren, I told you, adults have different rules and your mother is being...unreasonable,"

"I don't understand," the boy looked down at the floor. "I...I hate both of you,"

"You don't understand true hatred yet, Ren," Madara bluntly stated before getting straight back to work. No point losing paperwork after a useless interlude, he'd decided.

* * *

><p>"So...I assume this means another night here," Minoru said as he pulled himself out of bed and found Yukiko sat in his living room angrily scribbling away.<p>

"Yes."

"And Ritsuko has gone back to Madara?"

"Yes."

"By the way, there's an emergency all village assembly tomorrow regarding the position of Hokage," as soon as Minoru told her this, her brush stopped moving. Yukiko almost froze completely. "Yukiko?"

"I need to go..." she slowly stood up. "I'll come get my things in the morning...I...I just need to go," she practically ran out of the house, leaving Minoru with a tiny smile on his face.

"Just over a day, a new record for her. There's nothing she can do though..."

* * *

><p><strong><em>Kaiiiii! <em>What? _This is the second to last arc! It's terrible! This story is ending soon. _Yes. But then Shattered Ice is starting. And we'll be back for that. _But that's not fair! Iris won't get a sequel. _Kinda...hard to do a sequel for a story about Itachi..._Meanie! You don't even know who he is! _**

**_Next chapter title: I Welcome This Pain_**

**Question: Do you forgive Kay for leaving it so late to update? **

**From the Kay household as well. Happy holidays! One shot should be up on Saturday over on DA. (BlackYoite) **


	59. I Welcome This Pain

I've been working hard, dearys. :) This is a short chapter as the next chapter is a bit different as it's completely written following Madara the entire time so much like those one or two chapters where I focus on one scene for the whole chapter, this one will be like following Madara for a day. I've wanted to do it for a while but never found the chance to and now I have. :)

Chapter title: Far by Coheed & Cambria (You REALLY need to listen to that song. It's AMAZING)

Disclaimer: I'm playing Modern Warfare 3 atm. It just came up I don't own Naruto but own Yukiko and my other characters and plot. OH I LEVELLED UP!

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Fifty-Nine<strong>

**I Welcome This Pain**

Yukiko came to a halt as she came to her own home. She wasn't quite sure why she'd come all the way here but all she knew was that staying away wasn't going to make the situation better and neither was practically cornering Madara. Instead, she slid the door open and walked into her bedroom. Madara was just starting to nod off; she knew his sleep routine well enough.

"I knew you'd come crawling back," he mumbled.

"I'm only here so I can support you tomorrow, that's all,"

"You think so highly of yourself that you think I need your support,"

"We may argue a lot but as you said…I'll always come back here," she said rather flatly as she laid down with her back to him. It was just as well that neither of them could see they both look relieved to be back with the other. They had issues with each other, yes, but neither of them would go without the other either. They just had to make room for the other's pride. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I'm leaving for one of the ports tomorrow; you're free to come," he offered, secretly hoping she'd come.

"Okay. Atsuko can take care of the twins. I am very sorry for everything,"

"You can make up for it by helping me overthrow Hashirama," he turned onto his other side at this point to face her. "Then everything you've done will be excused,"

"I…" she glanced back at him almost with a look of shame. "I'll help you. If that's what it takes for you to be happy,"

"It takes a lot more than that for me to be happy but it will be a start to all my other plans,"

* * *

><p>Madara, instead of standing at the front with the Uchiha, was at the back of the hall for the Hokage ceremony. His back pressed against the wall and his arms folded. And yet he had a smirk on his lips. Yukiko stood silently next to him.<p>

"This won't take long, Yuki," he told her. "Before long there won't even be a record of Hashirama ever even becoming Hokage,"

"You've not told me how you're going to go about this though," she sighed, watching her children all the way at the front. "Will our children know about this?"

"No. They're being kept out of this completely so stop with the worried look on your face, it pisses me off and makes me think you've got doubts about this plan of mine. It'll just be me and you heading off to the port, by the way. It's not a large attack force attacking but most of that area is full of those non-shinobi," he scoffed, touching her arm and gesturing that they should leave about now. "When we get back, I'll call a meeting with the Uchiha. I'm going to crush him. He'll never know what hit him...I want him alive long enough to know it was me but dead quick enough that we don't get blood on the Hokage outfit," it was the way he was speaking, quite quickly and almost...rambling. He was still reeling from losing out to Hashirama was what she had concluded but wasn't confident enough to say it.

"Okay." was all she really could manage to say at this point. What else could she say?

"Hn. Let's make this quick,"

* * *

><p>The port wasn't far from Konoha. A few days of travelling in near silence and the pair arrived. Yukiko had already summoned Kiyoshi and was left lying in wait while Madara used his Sharingan to assess the situation better. He grunted in what seemed like mild content.<p>

"Yugakure ninja. Tch. Weaklings, worse than the Senju wait...No. Nothing is worse than those disgusting vile snivelling dogs." Madara snarled, his tolerance of the Senju now replaced with anger and hatred that he had apparently been suppressing for five years and now it was back in ten fold.

"Madara..."

"Don't talk. Let's go." the two of them broke cover and rushed out down towards the port. Yukiko chose to stay behind Madara, noting several shinobi had now spotted them to their left. She changed her course and headed for them with Kiyoshi shattering just as she reached them. In her spare hand she kept a poison kunai. The captain was the first to attempt to strike her, Yukiko ducked down and tried to swipe at the man's midriff. She missed by a whisker and left herself open, taking a kick to the gut. The pair leapt away from each other.

"Go after Madara! We'll need all the men we can to deal with him. I can handle this one" he ordered but as soon as his men were gone she smirked.

"You've missed something." She pointed out, holding out the bladeless handle of Kiyoshi to the Captain. The Captain was confused for a moment before ice rose up from his feet. He moved quickly enough that the ice shattered, Yukiko tried to reform Kiyoshi however the Captain reached her before she could...He was fast. Much faster than she was...But not faster than Kiyoshi who formed a white snake that constricted him. Yukiko sighed. It had been close. Much closer than she was comfortable with. She pulled out a bottle and poured its contents into the sheath of Kiyoshi.

She needed to time this move correctly. The slightest slip would be trouble. She called Kiyoshi back to sword form, sheathing him and swiping at the Captain with her kunai. He grabbed her wrist and went to kick her, she twisted his arm behind his back in time to avoid his kick.

"Yukiko!" she turned around as the Captain she'd been pinning disappeared in a puff of smoke and a katana jabbed straight at her gut. A hand grabbed the blade suddenly, stopping it from reaching her. "Now!" Yukiko stabbed the Captain with the poison laced Kiyoshi and moments later he fell to the floor. "I'm not covering for you next time." Madara told her sternly, glaring at her. Yukiko sighed.

"Thank you but I had that sorted."

"What?" he snapped before she flicked her wrist back and revealed her ice threads around where she had been fighting, she could easily have trapped him. The threads, too, were laced with poison.

"I told him he'd missed something. I distracted him with Kiyoshi shattering and readied my threads instead. I'm sorry about your hand," grabbing the blade had meant Madara's hand was deeply cut and while he seemed unbothered by it she guessed his hand was hurting him.

"Tch. Whatever. I've got rid of most of them anyway,"

"That was quick." She pointed out with a look of almost disbelief.

"Oh don't be so surprised," he scolded. "If that damn dog had listened to me then we could have done this and he could have run off to play the hero in front of his wife without any fuss," Madara's fists clenched, causing more blood to drip from his injured hand as his knuckles paled. Yukiko kept her head down, feeling that cloud of guilt hanging over her again. "Come on. We need to go and discuss..."

"After all this time though, you're going to go and revolt against the Daimyo and the Senju," Yukiko muttered before realising she should have held her tongue, looking up long enough to catch the look of anger in his eyes.

"I'd rather destroy them now before they destroy us."

* * *

><p>Ren and Ritsuko sat in their home, listening to the familiar sounds of Atsuko cleaning and cooking when there was a knock at the door. Ritsuko leapt up, assuming it'd be her parents and ran to the door before Atsuko could even tell her not to. She was, however, to be disappointed, staring up at Hashirama Senju instead. The first Hokage and the man her father had lost to apparently.<p>

"Oh, Ritsuko-chan," Hashirama knelt down to her level, smiling warmly at her. "Are your mother and father here?"

"No, they..."

"They went to the port, Hashirama-sama," Atsuko informed him, appearing behind Ritsuko with Ren now.

"Oh, so Madara went there anyway. I needed them, we're leaving for Uzushiogakure and I was hoping that Madara had changed his mind about the operation," Hashirama explained rather wearily before going back to smiling at Ritsuko. "But if that's his choice then what can I do? Your father isn't the sort to be caged,"

He wasn't sure why...But Ren realised he didn't like this man. Not one bit. He was unsure of him and whenever he'd been out with his father he'd always told him to be careful around the Senju. Hashirama wasn't dangerous, he wasn't threatening and he didn't raise his voice. Ever. But something about him made the young Uchiha more cautious than usual.

"Ren-kun, what happened to your arm?" Hashirama asked with a sad tone, noticing the boy's arm was in a sling and completely bandaged up. Ren didn't answer him though, Ritsuko looking back at her brother with a rather guilty look.

"We were playing and Ren got hurt. Big mean wolves came and hurt him but papa came and saved him and now I'm in trouble," Ritsuko explained before laughing slightly. "I shouldn't have said that,"

"Children, go in and sit down nicely," Atsuko told them. Ren was all to happy to retreat now, one last look at Hashirama before he did so.

"Goodbye, Hashirama-sama," Atsuko shut the door and sighed, thankful that Madara hadn't been around. He would have argued with Hashirama all over again. She shook her head of all the thoughts and went back to taking care of the children.

* * *

><p>Madara had taken Yukiko on a detour. She hadn't realised it at first but after a while she noticed that it wasn't the way that they had come from and there was no reason they wouldn't head back the same way. No...They had gone, technically, right past the village and were heading somewhere familiar.<p>

It was funny, like her village was now frozen in time it seemed as though the Uchiha Stronghold was now as well. It stood proud still but totally vacant, reflecting the Uchiha quite well actually. Yukiko didn't even dare mutter what she was thinking. Her tongue had done nothing but betrayed her for long enough and she was fed up. She wanted to go home and she wanted to see her children. She also wanted her husband back but there was no chance of that happening apparently. He was colder and more distant than he'd been in years. It reminded her of when Izuna died.

"This was the safest place for the Uchiha." Madara said rather quietly. "It still is. I spent so long trying to make somewhere where we could be without fear and we could build an army powerful enough to strike the whole world down if we needed to," he closed his eyes for a moment. "A lifetime of hard work trying to reach the top to prove to everyone that me and Izuna were more than pathetic war orphans. But flesh is weak, Yukiko, even the greatest shinobi can be taken down with a single well timed blow and apparently we can all be used as well. Before, we were used by Daimyo, yes, but they didn't govern our lives and rank us with others. They measured us on our achievements not our values, in fact, values would get you dismissed quickly. So when you plead for peace and you say not to go against the Daimyo and the Senju...I'd have killed a lesser woman for that. Actually that's an option I've not completely ruled out yet," he looked at her, the pensive look on her face before she sighed.

"You can't do anything without the Uchiha backing you, Madara," she correctly pointed out with a solemn tone. He knew that look in her eyes.

"You'll go along with any plan I come up with? Why?"

She hesitated to answer this, shifting slightly as though she was physically uncomfortable. It was this atmosphere she was uncomfortable with...

"Yes. Within reason."

Madara turned and gestured her to follow. "Come then. We have a meeting to call, I assume as the head of the Uchiha council, you'll have to be present,"

She laughed slightly and shrugged. "I think it's for the best,"

"Fine. I won't hold back because you're my wife,"

"Do you ever?"

"I feel it's best for the children if I do," the two of them now were smiling...just a little. "Does the Fire Daimyo have children?" Madara asked all of a sudden. He didn't even know why but he hadn't thought about it and the Daimyo didn't mention his private life at all except for the occasional passing comment amount his wife.

"Three. Two older sons and a daughter who is just a couple of years older than the twins," Yukiko informed him. He was always impressed that despite not being the gossiping type, Yukiko seemed to have the ability to keep a record of who was married to who and who's children were who's...He lacked the patience to listen to most people let alone care about their lives.

"I should have appealed to him with the line 'as a father...' when we were arguing," Madara groaned, wondering how he'd missed that chance.

"You were that desperate to win that argument?" Yukiko asked with a tone of surprise.

"Well I lost favour with him because of it. I didn't lose that argument. I walked away from it," he corrected her rather sternly. "Wait, Yuki," Madara grabbed her wrist suddenly, freezing. "Something close..." he whispered to her. "Just woke up...Stay quiet and close to me,"

Now that he mentioned it, she could feel the ground vibrating. "Ice threads?"

"No. Just move. It's moving away from the village anyway." Madara ordered. "Come on." He ran for the village, Yukiko not even thinking twice about following.

* * *

><p>Atsuko yawned as she laid out a futon in the living room of Madara's house. Getting Ritsuko to sleep had been a struggle, she had decided that she was only going to sleep if Atsuko told her a story about dragons and one story had led to two and then three.<p>

"Exhausting work?" Hayate appeared at the living room door, making her jump. He laughed slightly.

"What do you want?" She asked before smiling.

"I was just making sure you were okay,"

* * *

><p>Ritsuko tossed and turned before deciding to wake Ren up.<p>

"Ren!" she hissed. Her brother didn't even stir. She growled softly, getting up and moving over to his bed and nudged him repeatedly. "Ren. Ren. Ren. Ren."

"What, Ri?" he asked, sitting up at last. "I wanna sleep."

"I think there's a stranger here," Ritsuko whispered, creeping out of the bedroom silently. Ren rolled his eyes and followed her, if only to try and get her to go to sleep so he could as well

"Ri, don't!" he hissed as she opened the door to the living room quickly.

"Eww..." Ritsuko moaned, looking to Ren. "That's not nice..." what wasn't nice had been she had walked in on Atsuko and Hayate kissing and while she had seen her mother and father kiss, it still seemed nasty to her.

"Ritsuko-chan!" A flustered Atsuko gasped, pushing herself away from the guard. "I'm...Go to bed, Ritsuko-chan! Ren-kun!" the twins looked at each other.

"We're going!" Ritsuko grabbed her brother's hand and the pair disappeared.

"I told you to leave," Atsuko sighed. "If they tell Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama, I'll be in trouble,"

"No, I'll be in trouble," Hayate corrected, laughing slightly. "Atsuko," he kissed her cheek. "You worry too much,"

"What if it upsets..." he cut her words off by gently kissing her lips.

"I'm leaving. I get it, I don't want to upset our Leader either," Hayate smiled and turned quickly to leave.

"Hayate, I'll see you when Madara-sama and Yukiko-sama come back,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Madara returned home in the middle of the night, silently making their way into their house to make sure they didn't wake the twins.<p>

Yukiko went to check on them, expecting Madara to do the same only to find he went straight to bed, much to her disappointment.

The twins were asleep as she walked into the room. She smiled to herself as she knelt down between their beds to get a better look at them.

"Ma..." Ren muttered, surprising her a little.

"Go to sleep, Ren," she whispered to him so she didn't wake up Ritsuko. She pulled his bedsheets up to cover him more and smiled. "Bedtime now."

"I don't hate you,"

"I never thought you did." She laughed quietly.

"I told dad I did. I lied." He told her, his eyelids feeling heavy as she fiddling with his black hair. "I love you and I love dad. Don't leave."

"We aren't going anywhere." She promised. "Your father will tell you the same. Ask him tomorrow," she kissed his forehead. "Night. Love you and sleep well,"

"Kay...night, ma,"

Yukiko left the room and entered her own.

Madara was taking off his equipment, a pile of kunai and shuriken on the desk.

"Madara, Ren needs to talk to you tomorrow," she told him. He didn't even look at her.

"Fine. I'll talk to him tomorrow before the meeting," Madara looked out of the window for a moment with a frown. "Or maybe after."

"Before. He has something important to tell you," she insisted before sighing. "What are you going to tell the Uchiha tomorrow?"

"I'll just tell them the truth. Tomorrow we will sort this mess out once and for all and order will be restored and by order I mean that the Senju will be on their knees in front of the Uchiha begging for mercy," he spat venomously before glaring at her. "Then you'll have earned your forgiveness from me,"

"Alright, Madara, but just make sure you talk to Ren..." She yawned, falling onto the bed. "Madara?"

"Hn. What?"

"I love you."

He looked at her for a moment, glaring even, before sighing. "I realise that,"

"Good. I'm going to go along with whatever scheme you have but not to clear my own guilt but because of that. I just thought you should know," she explained.

"Tch, we'll see. In the end, Yuki, everyone betrays you and if they don't. They die for you."

* * *

><p><strong><em>That's a rather depressing way of thinking...<em>Oh because Madara is know to be sunshine and happiness, Kagami! _He could be. You never know! _I do know. And he isn't. _You're also a pile of happiness today, Kai. _Nothing. I'm fine. Just angry. Can we get this over and done with so I can sleep? _Yea, if we must. _**

**_Question: What's going to happen next chapter? That's the best I've got..._**

**__Next chapter: I Might Be Sick, Broken, Torn To Pieces...So...**


	60. I Might Be Sick

This chapter is mostly focussed on Madara this time around. Oh! And Taro says "Mum" because I live in London and we don't have "Mom"s. ;) We have mummys. I'm so close to the end I can almost...Oh wait...I've actually written the end. I've officially finished it but it'll be a couple weeks before you do. XD Due to my little system and it needs editing and blah blah. This is the last chapter of this arc. I know this one was short but the next arc is LOOOONG.

Chapter Title: Far by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: Dis Claimer is Claiming they don't own Naruto ;) I amuse myself. Never mind me.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty<strong>

**I Might Be Sick, Broken, Torn To Pieces...So...**

"5 years, Hisano. 5 years and all our attacks have been stopped. I'm no longer funding your obsession. Either become a more stable woman or leave." Keiji Osaka said rather bluntly to his wife.

Hisano was sitting in the lounge reading. "Was it Madara this time?"

"Does it matter who it was this time? There's no one left alive." He retorted, sitting next to her, he put his arm around her. "Come on. Hisano."

She sighed and looked at him. "I'm very tired of this." He smiled, kissing her forehead.

"Yes, I know. Is that a yes? Will you finally stop?" he asked, finally feeling like he could have a piece of the woman he married back. She studied his expressive with those keen crimson eyes of hers.

"For Taro."

"Mum? Dad?" The four year old boy with bright blonde hair stood at the door. They both looked back at him. "I want a puppy."

She laughed slightly, standing up. "You're the son of a Daimyo, Taro, you can have whatever you want," the boy's red eyes lit up.

"A puppy!"

"Yes, fine. You can have a puppy," Hisano knelt down in front of him. "And a country and a hidden village and your own children one day," she stroked his cheek. However he seemed to completely ignore everything else she'd told him.

"Puppy!" he hugged her tightly. Keiji chuckled to himself.

"We should probably just focus on getting him to think properly first," the Daimyo advised. Finally he felt like some sort of weight had been lifted. And in a funny little way, Madara and Yukiko stopping his army's attack had given him his wife back. Keiji was becoming quite the fan of irony…

* * *

><p><em>It was night time. Madara was sat in a field all by himself. He could feel the breeze gently tugging at him and the crisp air was actually comforting almost. He knew this field...It was littered with many bodies. He dreamt of it a lot. There was nowhere he felt more at home than a battlefield. This was where he belonged, wasn't it? Who did he think he was kidding with this village nonsense?<em>

_A wife and kids...It would satisfy many men. And he couldn't say he hadn't done well. His wife was quite a challenge but she was better than the women who wouldn't say a word to him. And his kids! Ren would be amazing...Ritsuko...may be killed by someone who found her too annoying. But that was her thing._

_And yet...It felt to him almost like he'd been on autopilot the entire time._

"_Madara?" he turned around, finding Izuna standing behind him with his eyes covered by bloodied bandages. "You ended up siding with the Senju even after I died?"_

"_It was because you died that I sided with them. The Uchiha couldn't carry on with all those battles..." Madara admitted with a heavy sigh._

"_And what will change when the Uchiha take over the village?" Izuna asked, sitting next to his brother._

"_The Senju will be the ones below us. I'll have control over them as well," he told Izuna with a venomous tone. "I should have done this from the beginning though. At least the clan will back me and so will Yukiko,"_

"_Will she though? Will they? Those who don't betray you, die. That's what you said. Are you sending the Uchiha to die, nii-san? Is Yukiko going to die?"_

"_Shut up, Izuna!"_

_Izuna frowned. "I died so who's to say we won't all be wiped out. Have you really thought this through?"_

"_I thought I told you to shut up! I can deal with this!"  
><em>

"_But you can't! You let me go on my own!"  
><em>

"_I let you fight like you asked and then you ran off!"_

"_I didn't run off! You just didn't follow me!"_

"_I shouldn't have had to! You were perfectly capable of..." Madara trailed off, looking away from Izuna. "Why does it matter?" he muttered. "You're a figment of a dream now,"_

"_Your guilt isn't." Izuna pointed out. "You miss me, nii-san, and you've not stopped feeling guilty since..."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Madara?" Yukiko nudged, her husband. "Madara,"<em>

_He groaned, turning on his side to look at her. "You better have a good reason for waking me up,"_

"_You were talking in your sleep again,"_

_He looked around, it was still dark and he guessed he'd only been asleep for a couple of hours. "So? Was it hurting you in any way?" She didn't reply, instead she touched just next to his eye which caused him to hiss in pain. "What the...?" his fingers skimmed the torn skin, he inspected them and was shocked to find they were thinly coated in blood. "Dammit!" he shot up and made his way to the bathroom._

"_Madara...Are you feeling okay?" Yukiko asked, following him as he washed the blood off his face._

"_I'm fine. Just go back to bed," he barked angrily. She refused to move, a worried look on her face. He hated that look. "Yukiko. I'm not asking."_

_She frowned, leaving him alone._

_He looked back to the mirror only to find tears of blood falling from his eyes..._

* * *

><p>Madara gasped, sitting up with a jolt. He immediately checked his eyes. Nothing...They were fine. He next checked on Yukiko who was asleep peacefully next to him. He sighed, lying back down.<p>

"Bad dream?" he jumped slightly before glaring at Yukiko.

"I thought you were asleep," he growled.

"I was, before you started whimpering for Izuna..." she opened her eyes, they had an almost mournful look to them. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Don't even start,"

"I won't," she yawned, moving closer to him. "Remember to see Ren,"

He grunted and got out of bed. "I think I'm going to go and work out a bit first, clear my head. You better be ready by the time I get back,"

"I will be," she promised although she looked like she was going to go straight back to sleep. Madara grabbed the bedsheets and pulled them off of her.

"Up. Now." He demanded before storming out of the room.

Once Madara was out of the house he immediately started to run...

* * *

><p><em>A ten year old Madara ran through the woods quickly, he wasn't even running from anything, he just needed to clear his head. So much to do. Training and studying and still having to steal food from the kitchens so he could take care of Izuna. He needed to breathe. He counted the steps in his head.<em>

_997...998...999...1000_

_He came to a sudden stop, panting as he looked around. He liked being this deep into the woods. He almost felt like he could disappear. That would be nice for a change...But it was a selfish thought and he immediately hated himself for it. He had to think of Izuna. It was far more important that Izuna was okay._

_He turned around and began to make his way back to the Stronghold. He'd make sure Izuna had his favourite tonight, just to make up for his moment of selfishness._

* * *

><p>Madara stood overlooking the village. His village. Oh yes, it would be. One way or another this village would be his. He couldn't have wasted all those years, it wasn't in his nature to waste time.<p>

The thought of this large village being presided over by Hashirama was enough to make him feel ill. No...When he claimed it, he'd make sure Hashirama would be on his knees begging Madara to have mercy. Madara would cruelly deny him the right to any and the Senju would be forced to work like dogs.

He checked the skies, realising Hoshi had followed him all the way up to the cliff. He held his arm out and Hoshi landed on it gracefully, looking at his master with keen golden eyes.

* * *

><p>"<em>Nii-san, are you okay?" Izuna asked, yawning as he came into his brother's room. "What've you got there?" he leaned over Madara's shoulder. "You've only just become Uchiha Leader, what's...Is that a bird?"<em>

"_Yes, Izu, it's a bird," Madara laughed slightly, leaning back to show Izuna the tiny newborn bird. It was bald, ugly even, chirping weakly. "I was thinking of helping it out and figuring out what I could do with it then. Maybe using it as a messenger,"_

"_You and your birds, Nii-san, what type is it? I can never tell when they're that icky,"_

"_You looked like a prune when you were born so watch your tongue. He's a falcon. Perfect for falconry once I get him fully grown," Madara told him, tearing a leg from a dead baby chicken and handing it to the baby falcon who hungrily snatched it from him and scoffed it in one._

"_You do have a knack for raising birds. One day you'll have a bird army, I imagine. By the way, I'm your second-in-command, right?" Izuna asked rather urgently all of a sudden._

"_Who else could I possibly choose?"_

"_That's what I said to Sensei!" Izuna interrupted._

"_If I didn't choose you, you'd just cry the entire time," the elder Uchiha continued. Izuna pouted, punching his brother's arm._

"_Don't say that. I'm 13 but I'm still a better shinobi than all of those idiots,"_

"_I never said you wouldn't. But you're the one most likely to cry out of all of those shinobi,"_

"_I'm not! I'm the brother of the Shining Star of the Uchiha!" Izuna joked, knowing using that title would rile Madara up._

"_Don't call me that! Dammit. That's the stupidest name I've ever heard,"_

"_I know. Minako started it," Izuna chuckled earning him a glare from his brother._

"_You just gave me a good idea though," Madara turned back to the bird. "I'll call him Hoshi,"_

* * *

><p>Madara sighed, stroking Hoshi's chest, with a rather far off look in his eyes. He checked around him suddenly, remembering his promise that he'd talk to his son in the morning.<p>

Hoshi took flight following Madara as he strolled slowly through the streets. He had a horrible feeling, a fleeting feeling, that something wasn't right. It was just the way the air felt.

"Madara-sama," a voice said from behind him. "How did the port mission go?" Genshi appeared next to him with a smile, holding a bag.

"It was a success, of course. What're you doing up so early?" Madara asked, eyeing the bag cautiously.

"Oh, I'm buying my daughter a present. She's been nagging me for a toy so I told her I'd get it for her and left it a while, now I'm going to surprise her," he explained with a slight laugh in his voice. "Would you like me to go over those assignments today?"

"Actually. I need to call a meeting with all the Uchiha at Naka Shrine as soon as possible," Madara ordered before running ahead of Genshi who was left sighing and shaking his head.

* * *

><p>Ren was awoken by the door to his room being opened, he realised quickly that his sister was gone, his father was sitting on her bed watching him.<p>

"Dad?" Ren sat up and yawned, noticing his arm hurt more when he'd just gotten up. "Is something wrong?" he was worried by the almost angry look in his father's eyes.

"No. What did you want to talk to me about?" Madara asked, being snapped out of his thoughts immediately.

"I just want to tell you I don't hate you." Ren said, getting up and smiling weakly. "Thank you for saving me. I love you." Madara stared at Ren for a moment. What exactly was he even supposed to say to that? He knew what he wanted to say but was hesitant to say it.

"I'm your father, Ren. I'm supposed to protect you. It's what I have to do," Madara sighed, ruffling Ren's hair slightly. "Your mother and I don't like arguing but even when we do we still say sorry because we both love you and your sister a lot. Remember to take care of your sister and mother when I'm away on missions, okay?"

"I'll try, dad," Ren nodded. Madara pulled out a kunai from his pouch.

"Don't tell your mother about this, okay?" Madara handed his son the kunai. "Keep that somewhere she won't find it. Promise?"

"I won't even tell Ri,"

"That's it," Madara laughed softly. "I might be away on missions a lot but you still manage to take after me a lot,"

"Is that a good thing?" Ren asked with a confused expression.

"Of course it is. I took over the Uchiha when I was 16 and defeated countless clans as well," Madara boasted however his son didn't seem impressed.

"Ma still beats you at cards," he pointed out.

"She cheats,"

"You use Sharingan,"

"You need to go have breakfast. Go on, leave," Ren rolled his eyes and ran out of the room.

Madara sighed, getting up and looking around his children's room. Becoming a father had actually been much harder than he'd expected. Despite having raised Izuna he had no memories of what a father should be like. His own was rather stern but at the same time he loved Madara and Izuna just as Madara loved Ren and Ritsuko but it was starting to get harder and harder to explain this to them.

Yukiko popped her head into the room a few minutes later.

"Madara, the meeting is beginning in half an hour. Genshi just came round to let you know," she informed him.

"Yukiko, come here,"

She slowly shut the door and sat down next to him. "Something wrong, Madara?"

"Ren doesn't hate me, which isn't surprising as he's only 4, but I remember hating lots of people when I was his age after my parents died,"

"Your parents had just died. It's only natural you'd hate a lot of people," Yukiko reasoned. "My father always said..." Madara groaned and rolled his eyes as she said this which earned him a scowl from his wife. "What?"

"Nothing. I just wish we could go a single conversation without you imparting some of your father's wisdom onto me. Not to mention I'd quite like you to shut up now,"

"You always want me to," Yukiko joked, before leaning back against the wall. "Is this the calm before the storm then?"

"Perhaps. I'm not an expert on calm. I'm quite good with storms though," he sighed, looking at Yukiko quite intently, almost studying her. "I hate talking. I'm not good with words or people, it's hardly a flaw. I just have no time for it. However, I do need you to realise I make time for you and the twins. I need to focus on the Uchiha right now and the village but after that's sorted we'll go out drinking or something," Madara explained with a low tone. She laughed slightly.

"Probably best to let Atsuko look after them for a night if we're out drinking,"

Madara sighed, laying down on Ritsuko's bed now, he closed his eyes.

"Tired?" Yukiko asked, laying down next to him and stroking his hair as though he was a finely bred cat.

"No. I'm thinking," he told her bluntly. "I'll square the Senju away,"

"Shh. Don't talk about the Senju right now," Yukiko whispered before kissing him gently. He'd been so focussed on his anger that as soon as she kissed him he realised he'd actually missed affection from his wife. His hand gently resting on her cheek as he took control of their kiss, she was all too happy to submit. However moments later he pulled away, smiling slightly before resting his head on her chest.

"You'll be a Hokage's Wife. The title suits you more than it does that Uzumaki bitch," Madara told her. "I'll make it so that the title is passed down, that way Ren will take over from me and the Uchiha will have a constant rule over this village,"

"You could rename it to the Village Hidden In The Flames," Yukiko added jokingly.

"Hidden Amongst the Pile of Dead Senju. I prefer that one,"

"A bit of a mouthful,"

"We should get off Ritsuko's bed and get to the meeting," Madara said suddenly, sitting up. "I doubt it'll take long,"

"I hope not. I've asked Minoru to take care of the children while we're gone," she informed him as she walked out of the room, spying her cousin had just come in. "Minoru, are you okay?" his arm was still heavily bandaged and apparently unusable as he wore it in a sling, his hand completely limp out of it.

"I'm fine. Slings are a new fashion trend me and Ren-kun are trying out, isn't that right?" Minoru asked Ren who had his head poking out of living room.

"Y-yes, Uncle Minoru."

"We won't be long," Madara told the twins, glaring at Minoru before leaving. Minoru was all too happy to return the gesture but only when he was certain Madara wasn't looking.

Madara hated Minoru, his feelings had been completely cemented at this point. He knew that every fibre in his being told him that Minoru was after his wife..._his _wife. His fists clenched tightly just thinking about it. That bastard...The thought of Minoru even touching Yukiko was enough to make him want to kill the Kiyomizu.

Cousin? As if.

"Madara!" Yukiko called after him, appearing next to him moments later. "I'm sorry, there was no one else unless you wanted Mito to..."

"It's fine. It doesn't matter." Madara cut her off. "I hardly think it's my main priority right now,"

Yukiko rolled her eyes. He was back to being serious Madara and although she understood why it didn't make it any less exhausting for her.

The rest of their walk to the Shrine passed by in a rather comfortable silence. Madara spent it deep in thought. Not just about the meeting coming up, but what he'd do afterwards. He'd need a plan, he'd need to be careful with how he went about this.

Before he realised he was at the shrine, making his way down into the meeting room below it. As he'd requested, all the members of the Uchiha were there except the children.

It was dark in the meeting room; the only light was two flickering torches. Yukiko made her way over to Aoi, Genshi and Atsuko deciding it'd be better to stand with the Council instead of Madara. She'd be asked to vote and being with Madara would appear to be biased.

The Uchiha Leader took in a deep breath, closing his eyes for a few seconds to gather himself.

"My brethren…For four years we've lived side by side with the Senju and have seemingly accomplished nothing. They have bypassed us and taken the role of leading the village from us. They will now use this opportunity to crush what's left of us,"

Yukiko observed the room. It wasn't like before at the Stronghold….Something was different. They weren't completely engaged in what he was telling them. She looked to Genshi who was shaking his head.

"Genshi…" she whispered. "They don't believe in him,"

"I don't myself," Genshi admitted quietly. "They won't say a thing. They're scared."

That was what felt different, he was right. They all seemed to want to object to his idea and yet none of them quite had the courage too.

"Kohaku would have…" Yukiko muttered.

"Yes, he would have. As would Izuna-sama however neither of them are here and I presume you won't either," Genshi shook his head and stepped forward. "Madara-sama, no offence but isn't this you growing bored and trying to start more war for yourself?"

"Start a war for myself? You think that's how low I think of the Uchiha?" Madara snapped angrily.

"Please! I'm stating an opinion, not trying to argue with you or start some sort of fight between us. I've been your subordinate for 5 years now and I wouldn't cross you so easily so I'd appreciate it if you listen to my view," Genshi explained calmly.

The Uchiha Leader seemed to weigh up his options for a moment before sighing. "Fine. Speak."

"Thank you. While you seem to live in this paranoid world that hasn't seemed to been the case so far. We've worked well with the Senju so far. Some of us have even made friends with some of them. You've been seen with Hashirama-sama several times,"

"Yes so that I could increase my chances of being Hokage!" Madara interjected. There was a muttering around the room now. Yukiko couldn't help but shake her head. She'd thought this would go well…But apparently it was too late now and the Uchiha had cemented their place in the village. She desperately wanted to try and help Madara but at the same time…

"It's my duty as Head of the Uchiha Council…To take into account what the Uchiha want when their leader does not," Yukiko said to Genshi and Atsuko. Atsuko seemed torn, glancing back and seeing Hayate looking at her. "That's what the entire Council is for," Yukiko added firmly.

"Oh, so you've all been brainwashed with these ridiculous lies of peace! They will say that until they…"

"At least, Hashirama-sama never stole his brother's eyes!" someone from the clan yelled all of a sudden.

"S-stole? You think I'd steal my own brother's eyes? How dare you!"

"You just want to start another war! Why can't we just live in peace for a change?" another member interrupted. "We've got families to think of,"

"And so do I, which is why I'm trying so hard to fight against this Senju regime! I'm not going to sit around and wait for them to strike!" Madara countered fiercely.

"How do you know they will strike?" Genshi asked.

"Have you not realised that this is the perfect opportunity for them to do so? You really are naïve enough to think that all of this hatred has disappeared overnight?" Madara asked. The mutterings from the Uchiha were now much louder and seemed to be much angrier. He couldn't help but wish Izuna was with him. Someone who'd take his side every time...

"_I'm going to go along with whatever scheme of yours..."_

Madara looked to Yukiko suddenly.

She opened her mouth to speak however words were robbed from her and instead she looked away from him, looking to the Uchiha and then back to him.

"Listen to them." She told him.

"We've had enough! We're not following someone who's just going to get us all killed!" Someone yelled and then...the final nail in Madara's coffin came.

"Or someone who'd steal his own brother's eyes! Blinded by greed, I say!"

Madara seemed to mentally recoil from this. A sudden image of Izuna's eyeless face in his mind, an image so vivid he felt as though Izuna was right in front of him again.

And Madara berated himself for having nothing left to say to that. Instead he watched the room empty and then it was just him and the Uchiha Council.

"I've...I've got to go and see the children." Yukiko stuttered before running out of the room. Genshi and Atsuko looked at each other before Genshi left to follow Yukiko.

Atsuko stared at Madara for what seemed like hours before going to leave.

"Even you, Atsuko?" he asked her quietly.

"I don't know what to say, Madara-sama," she admitted. "I..."

"You've always blamed me for Izuna's death." He told her bluntly.

"Maybe I have, Madara-sama," she left before she said anything else to him.

If Madara had been a lesser man, he'd have cried. Instead he sat down, he knew that Hashirama was the one to blame for all of this. It was his idea. All of it. He could trace everything back to the Senju. Madara trembled, his hatred had never been so close to the surface before. He had to plan. He wanted to...tear down the entire village. He wanted it all gone.

He wanted it all to _burn._

* * *

><p><strong><em>OH! It's getting there, Kai! <em>I know. The next arc is called: The Old Flames and New Ice. It's a strange one. _Oh, that sounds interesting. Is it? _Yes. Why not. :)**

**Question: No more predictions for how this will end? **

_**Next Chapter Title: Everything I Am Becoming**  
><em>


	61. Everything I Am Becoming

This is a short chapter and a late update. I've been playing Skyrim...Obsessively. XD I can't help it! I'm so hooked on that world it's insane. Same thing happened with Oblivion but Skyrim is about 1000x better. Also I've been reading A Song Of Fire And Ice. And watching Game of Thrones. :) But I still love you all and I hope you still love me. Meow. New arc, right? :D The Old Flames And New Ice. Self-explanatory really.

Chapter Title: In The Flame of Error by Coheed and Cambria

Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. I used to own it but then I took an arrow to the knee. (BAD JOKE DAMMIT!)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-One<strong>

**Everything I Am Becoming**

Yukiko slammed the door to her house shut. She bit down on her lip.

_Become cold again. _

She had folded. She couldn't keep her word to Madara afterall. She knew she'd done the right thing, so why did she just feel like crying? It just didn't seem fair.

"Ma, are you okay?" Ren asked, having come to see who'd come in. "Did you fight with dad again?"

"Go back to Ritsuko, Ren-kun," Minoru said. Ren immediately ran back into the living room while Minoru sighed, frowning. "What happened, cousin?"

"I don't think Madara will be able to continue being the Leader of the Uchiha anymore. He wants them to revolt against Hashirama becoming Hokage and they just...they can't take going back to war and how it once was," Yukiko explained. "And I told him I'd go along with whatever plan he came up with but when he looked at me I just...I couldn't. They were all so against the idea and I thought about Ren and Ritsuko and I just couldn't agree with what he was saying. He's going to kill me," her eyes were now fixed on Minoru's left arm.

"He's not going to kill you," Minoru shook his head. "He'll sulk for a while but he'll get over it. He always does. Want me to stay here for a while?"

"No. You should leave. Today isn't the day to be messing with him," Yukiko warned, moving away from the door. "I'm just going to...Sit down with the twins and hope nothing kicks off."

"I hope that too," he muttered before leaving.

Yukiko took in a deep breath, calming her nerves before she made her way in, finding Ren and Ritsuko were sat down at the table.

"We're writing!" Ritsuko declared holding a piece of paper out to her. "Look! I learnt my name! Uncle Minoru taught me!"

"You've got better handwriting than I do," Yukiko laughed, sitting down in between them. Ren smiled.

"I couldn't do it. My arm hurt so Ri did mine for me too," Ren leaned forward and pointed to his name. "It's nice."

"I'm glad you think it's a nice name, Ren. And well done for writing Ren's name for him, Ritsuko,"

"Where's papa?" Ritsuko asked, seeming to be the first to catch on that Madara and Yukiko had left together and thus it would have made more sense for them to come back together.

"He's...working right now. He'll be home tonight, I think,"

* * *

><p>Madara got up, deciding that wallowing in self-pity wasn't going to get him anywhere. He walked out of the shrine when two messengers appeared.<p>

"Madara-sama! Hashirama-sama told us that if the Iwa ninja showed up before he got back that you were to deal with the peace talks with them," One of them told him. Madara glared at them.

"What peace talks?"

"Hashirama-sama was organising an alliance between us and Iwagakure," One of them nervously explained, not making eye contact with him at all. "It was one of the first things he set out doing when he became Hokage,"

"Fine. Are they at the gates?" Madara didn't bother waiting for an answer, he just immediately left and headed for the village gates.

* * *

><p>Yukiko had to admit, if there was one thing her children were good at, it was easing her worries. Ritsuko was a pain, yes, but she provided a welcome distraction to the drama unfolding and so Yukiko didn't even scold her when she spilt ink all over the floor. Instead, she laughed and cleared it up without even a frown.<p>

"Ma! Can we go for a walk?" Ritsuko asked rather excitably, sitting next to her kneeling mother. "I want dango!"

"We can go later. We should wait till Madara gets back," Yukiko said, glancing at Ritsuko.

"Yay!" For Ritsuko, any answer would satisfy her just as long as someone paid attention to her. The result didn't really matter just as long as someone spoke.

The sudden opening of their front door seemed to bring the drama right back though.

"Y-Yukiko-san?" Someone called out. "Are you here?"

She rolled her eyes and got up. "Yes? What's wrong?" it was a messenger and he seemed particularly nervous. "What do you need?"

"Ah...Erm...We need you at the Village Gates. There's, erm, an...issue," the messenger stuttered. Yukiko inwardly groaned.

"I presume if you came here it's an issue with Madara, what's he doing? Speak up!"

"Ah! Yes! He...Well..."

Yukiko considered herself incredibly patient but today she just didn't have it in her. She summoned Kiyoshi to her hand and walked out. "Stay here and look after my twins." She ordered, wondering just what her husband was up to now.

* * *

><p>"But...But Hashirama-dono said..."<p>

"There is no alliance from here on, you will obey the Leaf!" Madara felt his anger swell. So Hashirama was already bending to other village's will because of his petty obsession with peace. It was a dream. A naïve dream. And why the hell hadn't Madara been consulted about this! "And never _ever _say that shinobi's name around me!" Madara went to leap forward to strike the two Iwa ninja only to find his legs were encased in ice.

"Madara!" Yukiko gasped as she appeared from behind him. "They're here for an alliance...Please, go through. I apologise for my husband's actions...He's been..." she reached his side, studying his angry expression with a sad look. "He's been unwell lately," she bowed. "I'm very sorry."

The Iwa ninja walked past them before Yukiko straightened up.

"Unwell!" Madara yelled as the ice cracked. "You made me sound like a deranged idiot!"

"Maybe I did. But...You can't go ruining the village's chances for peace. It's time to calm down and conform because there's no other option," Yukiko explained. He grabbed her collar.

"You really think I'm just going to roll over and accept this?" he hissed, Yukiko dropped Kiyoshi and covered his hands with hers.

"There really is no other option, Madara, we've got to think about the twins," it was a half-hearted plea though. Her eyes shut as if to close him out. Her heart wasn't even pounding fearfully anymore. Suddenly she looked at him, her crimson eyes icy. "Both of us."

"Why should I? Get off me," Madara pushed her away from him now, glaring at her before he looked away from her. "This village is going to die."

"You don't know that. We've lasted this long," Yukiko pointed out. "And...I'm sorry."

"I can't say it really matters. Even if you had agreed with me, those bastards all still left," Madara sighed. He didn't even have it in him with argue with her anymore. Dear lord, he wanted to. But it would just be...wasted effort. "When they all get excluded from the village's affairs and then killed, you'd do well to remember I called it,"

"The almighty Uchiha? No. That won't happen, ever." Yukiko said rather firmly for her before she stepped closer to him. "Madara, it won't. Because you'll be here to protect them even if you don't want to,"

"Hn. You always were a dreamer," Madara scoffed before walking off, leaving his wife to sigh and look up at the sky as if asking some unknown force for help.

* * *

><p>Minoru sat awkwardly on the edge of his bed.<p>

"Bad feeling. No...Very bad feeling," he jumped up and looked around his room. "Calm down. Calm down." But nothing quite eased the feeling he had. He'd tried drinking the night before but that hadn't helped. He'd played with the twins and helped them but still...It was like someone was constantly behind him, breathing down his neck.

Minoru knew that someone was there but he was too frightened to turn around and see who it was...No one at all. Just a manifestation of his own paranoia. He grabbed a box from his wardrobe and unsealed it. He didn't know how many times he'd checked this box now. Too many times. But it was far too precious to be left alone. He'd die to keep this box safe. And that was no exaggeration. He'd been hunted down for it before. Solitude had been so much easier for him.

Oh this box...

Minoru had gotten used to be out of solitude now but he could still sense better than the mindless drones of shinobi around him. He could sense he was on the edge of something big. He couldn't quite put a finger on what but he knew it had to do with Madara.

He sat down and shut his eyes. Outside he could hear the howl of a wolf and then other howls joined it. They howled into the empty sky and now Minoru took advantage and was soothed by their mysterious song. Out of tune but somehow perfectly harmonic. They dared the weak to cry out. Minoru smirked, a raven fluttering away from his window as he placed the box away again and took in the sight of the moon.

* * *

><p>Ren cowered underneath his bed sheets. He was trying not to cry so desperately but the sound of the howling wolves sent shivers down his spine and he felt so vulnerable again.<p>

"Ren!" his twin anxiously cried out as she came into the room. "Papa, come help Ren!"

He was so frightened he hadn't even heard his father come back. All he could hear was that echoing noise that seemed to be endless. Just as he thought it was over they started up again.

"Leave us alone, Ritsuko," Madara's voice was hoarse. He knelt down next to his son's bed. "Are you my son or not, Ren?"

"I...I am..." Ren stuttered. "Make it stop," he pleaded as Madara pulled his bed sheets from him. "Dad make it stop!"

"No." Madara snapped bluntly. "You can't be scared of something you're going to hear a hell of a lot. I'm not having a coward for a son," he scolded, Ren couldn't help but cry more as he heard this. The Uchiha leader sighed, for a moment he'd forgotten he was talking to a four year old boy. "The wolves aren't going anywhere and you're not either. Just learn to live with it. If any of them come close to you, you know I'll be here,"

"Why can't I just move?" Ren asked, moving closer to Madara. "I hate them so much."

"Because we live here. So what if they live out there? We don't even have to see them. Now sleep," Madara said sternly. Ren's eyes moved over to the door. "Ma?"

Madara turned to see Yukiko leaning against the door frame with a tiny smile on her face for a change. "Your father just gave you some very good advice, Ren, now you should sleep. Would you like me to tell you a story? I've got a good one for you and Ri tonight,"

Like a puppy, Ritsuko came rushing in as soon as she heard her name. "Story?"

"Yes. A story. Madara, you staying or have you got work?" Yukiko asked as she sat down next to him.

"I've got some preparations to..."

"Stay!" The twins insisted in unison. Yukiko looked at him, not giving an inkling as to whether she wanted him to stay or not. In truth, she probably wasn't sure either way. "Stay." They repeated.

"This better be a short story," Madara muttered sitting down.

"It's about Isamu Ginhana," Yukiko began, hearing Madara groan quietly to himself.

"Who?" Ren asked.

"Isamu Ginhana...He was a very talented shinobi. Ritsuko actually looks a lot like him...If she didn't have that black hair and grey eyes," Yukiko laughed slightly.

"Who do I look like?" her son eagerly pressed on.

"You're the spitting image of your father, Ren, a handsome looking thing you are. Now. On with my story, no interruptions. Lie down and listen. Isamu was a very deep thinking man, he'd walk around for hours lost in his own head and this took him to lots of exciting places and it was on one of these walks that he was informed of a very big bear that had been seen in the snow who was chasing a little girl. Now, any normal shinobi would have been scared, the lands where Isamu was from were very dangerous and the bears were as big as trees and as strong as your father." Madara wasn't quite sure how to take that comment, he was sure it wasn't an insult but he wasn't completely certain it was a compliment.

"Will we meet a bear?" Ritsuko interrupted.

"Let your mother continue, she said no interruptions and I'd like to get my work done," Madara snapped.

"Right so whereas most men would have been scared, Isamu was very wise and a very good man. He immediately did what no one else dared to, he left to go track down the bear despite his clan writing the girl off as doomed. It only took him a matter of minutes to track the bear down and he had ran with all his life. He saw the girl lying in the snow, the bear looming over her, ready to eat her all up and unsheathed his mighty white sword and slashed at the bear who stood up all the way on his back legs and roared so loud the earth seemed to shake. The little girl was too frozen with fear to move so Isamu stood over her and sliced at the bear who brought down a single paw on Isamu's arm...Isamu looked down at the girl now crying at the sight of his blood and he smiled and said 'This will be over in a moment, I promise,' and true to his word and shoved the blade forward and pierced the bear's heart! The bear stumbled back and fell down...And Isamu was considered to be the bravest of all the Ginhana after that," Yukiko sighed as the story ended, that small smile growing as she looked at Madara.

"What happened to the little girl, Ma?" Ritsuko yawned.

"She lived a happy life, all stories need a happy ending, but she was always careful of the bears in the snow after that," Yukiko explained, getting up. "Ren, Ri, you two need to be brave. Brave like Isamu Ginhana,"

"I'll kill a bear one day," Ritsuko promised however she was incredibly drowsy, curling up to sleep, Ren following suit quickly.

Madara studied his wife for a moment before nudging her. "Was that story true?" she nodded. "And you were the girl." She looked at him and nodded again.

"I was out looking for him in the snow, I hated it when he just wandered off. I got worried he'd never come back. He was so guilty afterwards that he didn't let the nurse heal his arm for a week claiming it was his fault that he'd got hurt and his alone. My mother eventually stepped in and told him what an idiot he was," Yukiko explained, standing up. "What preparations do you need to make?"

"It doesn't concern you." He told her rather bluntly. "What were you smiling about before?"

"What you said to Ren. I couldn't help but draw parallels between his situation and yours," she pointed out. "Listen, Madara, about what happened earlier both with the Uchiha and the Iwa shinobi...I wish to apologise. I was there as a Council Leader and I had to...find some way of...controlling the situation. If I'd been standing with you as your wife I would never have..."

"Didn't we discuss this earlier? It doesn't matter. None of this damn well matters anymore," Madara hissed. "If you'd been standing there as my wife you'd have been shunned like I seem to be," he stared at her intently. "I need to read one of your books anyway," She knew what that meant, he could tell by the narrowing of her crimson eyes.

"Planning on poisoning Hashirama?"

"No. Tch, that's a woman's tactic," he scoffed, she folded her arms giving him a rather unimpressed look. "You're a woman, aren't you?"

"Yes..."

"And you learnt about poisons from?"

"My mother." She answered with a sigh.

"And that's my point proven so don't look at me that way. Reminds me of Izuna." Madara skulked away into the study, no doubt to find one of her books.

Yukiko glanced into the living room, finding the one eyed fox was sat there...Just calmly for a change. He wasn't even looking at her. He just...stared off into the distance.

"You're upset about something." She muttered. "How do I know that?" she walked into the room, the fox now finally looking at her, barking once.

"You can feel the tension between us too?"

_Bark! _

"It makes me feel...so alone sometimes even when I'm lying right next to him. But we'll work it out,"

The fox tilted its head in a curious expression before leaning over so close to her...She knew he wasn't real but suddenly in her mind, he was. She could almost feel his wet tongue licking underneath her eyes.

"Yuki?" Her eyes snapped open and the fox was gone, Madara was behind her. "Come." She looked back at him. He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Wipe your tears away. Then come." He walked off into their bedroom. Yukiko shakily wiped her tears before getting up and following him.

"Did you find what you needed?" she asked, her voice sounding rather hazy. "My book, I mean."

"Hm? Yes. I did. I'll start my preparations tomorrow and I'll have finished by tomorrow night." He told her, laying down. "Genshi is turning into a Senju dog. I can tell."

"He disagreed with you and now he's a Senju dog? Does that make me one?" She countered.

"No. You already were one. If Hashirama asked you to jump you'd ask how high and if Tobirama asked you to, you'd ask him the same thing," Madara snapped however this seemed to anger her.

"Not Tobirama."

He sat up slightly, smirking. "You were being honest that time. I got you to hate one Senju what's Hashirama gotta do to make you hate me?"

"He'd have to kill you, Madara, which he won't _ever _do." Yukiko firmly said.

"No he won't. I could kill him...Have you ever hated someone so much the thought of being near them in any sense of the word disgusts you to your very core and you feel like your chest will explode from it?" Madara asked her. She thought deeply for a minute, mulling something over before answering him.

"I have actually. I hated you that much once,"

"If you had, you wouldn't have slept with me so...willingly," he stated with a rather triumphant smirk.

"Have you ever been cold, Madara?"

"Now you're treating me like a child. Of course I have. I go to your damn Settlement once a year. That's all the cold I ever need," he rolled his eyes however she still looked serious.

"I meant so cold that even fire doesn't light. You've never been to my country in the Winter. Only the Autumn. In the Winter that place is dark and cold and every day seems to be a victory if you live through it. I remember it got so cold that a mirror in my room splintered and shattered. I didn't even get up to pick up the pieces, just laid in my bed with god knows how many sheets I was wrapped up in. I watched those pieces slowly freeze over in front of my eyes and as soon as the weather got warmer...It was such a relief. I'd cling to those warm days so desperately," Yukiko explained gravely as she sat down next to him. "Madara, you're my warm day. Even back then when I hated you...You'd touch me and I'd feel warm and although you were and still are blunt and foul-tempered...I couldn't help but think you were the first man to ever show me any sort of affection that way," she glanced over and found Madara had fallen asleep. "Well that's three Uchiha I've put to sleep with my voice tonight," she laughed and kissed his cheek. "I'd tell stories every night for the rest of my life if it meant you three slept peacefully."

Yukiko slowly got up and checked on the twins who were soundly sleeping.

She wouldn't tell them. Ever. That Isamu Ginhana was their grandfather. If they found out later in life, then they did, if not...It didn't matter. The Senju had made sure it wouldn't matter and while she may never have understood why her father had to die, she was sure that it was just one of those things in life she couldn't dwell on.

But she knew Madara wasn't just paranoid. She could feel the Senju's grip was already tightening. Or perhaps they were both paranoid. She would just have to wait for Madara's 'preparations' to be complete. That's all she was left to do now.

* * *

><p><strong>*sobs* It's all over soon! <em>But we'll be back in Shattered Ice, won't we, Kai? <em>Well...Naturally..._So don't cry! _**

**Question: So...how was this chapter? I got nathin' this chapter except I love Yukiko's stories. **

**_Next chapter: If Only You Know How Lovely You Glow_**

**Kay note: I've been dying to use this song for Madara for SO long. The least you guys can do is look it up ;) It's amazing. Like pure...Epic. In The Flame of Error by Coheed & Cambria. Probably one of my fave songs by them. **


	62. If Only You Know How Lovely You Glow

This chapter is probably really short. But there's a reason for it. I couldn't drag this chapter out if I tried. XD By the way just because this chapter has lyrics from In The Flame Of Error, doesn't mean it was based on it. No. Oddly enough this chapter was based on another song which gets special mention. It's called Hell Frozen Rain and it's from the Silent Hill Shattered Memories soundtrack. Listen to it. :) I luffs it.

Chapter title: In The Flame Of Error by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I went to Silent Hill looking for my wife. I found a note in the Lakeview Hotel saying I didn't own Naruto but owned my characters. Odd.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Two<strong>

**If Only You Know How Lovely You Glow**

_Madara wasn't sure why...But he dreamt of being cold. Colder than he'd ever been. He felt it creeping up his very spine. Cold...and alone. He was so cold he didn't dare even more, he wasn't even shivering. His breath was the purest white in front of him and every breath was an effort. He fought against the cold, willing it to be warm. He wanted desperately just to be warm again that was all he could think of, not this equally crushing loneliness he felt. Just the cold. _

"_Hashirama-sama never stole his brother's eyes!"_

"_Isn't this you growing bored and trying to start a war for yourself?" _

"_You're a sick and twisted maniac who has to have everything done the way you want it!" _

_The cold instantly changed to hot...Very hot...Like fire. His eyes snapped open. The village burnt in front of his very eyes and behind him...He sensed something behind him that unleashed a terrifying roar. He turned around and looked up._

"_Kyuubi...You mindless dog..." He growled. "So easily controlled..." He trailed off, looking back at the burning village. "So...Easily...controlled..." _

* * *

><p>Madara awoke to find Yukiko wasn't next to him. He could hear his children in the dining room though...he rolled onto his side and pulled out a bottle from his bedside table drawer. A tiny bottle, he examined it closely before placing it back in the drawer.<p>

He laid there for a while, taking in the bizarre situation he found himself in. He didn't...No. He couldn't go into his office and work, why bother? The Uchiha had made themselves quite clear and no one had made their point clearer than Genshi. He could train away by himself but he had to watch what was going on here.

Part of him actually wanted to stay in for a change, to spend time with his wife and his children. He closed his eyes and heard his daughter arguing with his wife, no doubt his son was just sitting by and watching this unfold. Ren didn't act recklessly, Madara liked that about him. He'd make a fine leader...He would have...Or perhaps he still would. Madara doubted he'd ever know.

And his daughter...Oh she'd probably be murdered and buried in a ditch somewhere for running her mouth off to someone she shouldn't.

And yet the worst thing was, Madara couldn't think of what would become of Yukiko in the future. It had been on his mind for a while and every time he thought of his wife in the future he couldn't imagine it.

Pressing him odd thoughts away, Madara slowly got up, picking up a book near his bed and moving into the living room to read. Yukiko spotted this and followed him, watching him rather curiously.

"Yes, Yuki?"

"You usually get up, talk to the twins and leave to do some work with the Uchiha," she pointed out rather flatly. He glanced at her.

"I wonder why I'm not rushing to work where I'm clearly not wanted. Let Genshi handle it." He retorted however she seemed very unimpressed with this.

"So you're just going to stay here? Read all day? Do no work at all? No training?"

"I was thinking of napping as well."

"Madara, is this your protest? Is this how you've decided to act? I thought you weren't going to roll over and take this," Yukiko told her, moving to stand in front of him. "Go and show them why you're the only one who can lead the Uchiha,"

"Don't try to boss me around, Yukiko. I want a day of peace. As I told you, I've got preparations to make." He looked up at her. "Or are you looking for an argument? Do you want me to shout at you? I'll storm out the room if it'll mean you'll leave me be,"

"That seems petulant," she sighed, realising it wasn't as though she could ever tell Madara what to do. "It'll be nice to have you here for a change," she changed her unimpressed look with a quick smile. "I don't mind having help with the twins,"

"I should cook this evening as well," now she was no longer irritated but worried and trying to work out just what her husband was scheming.

"Is this an apology?" she asked, her voice very thick with scepticism.

"Yukiko, I never apologise and not to mention I've not done anything worthy of one," she rolled her eyes. She should have guessed he'd say that. "Don't you have the twins to go check on?"

"They're your twins too, you make it sound like they're just mine," he heard her mutter as she headed to the door.

"What'd you have for breakfast, Yukiko?" he asked her suddenly, causing her to stop and look at him with a look of worry.

"Erm, omelette and fried rice like usual. It's one of the...four meals I can cook," she slowly backed out of the room almost tripping over Ren and Ritsuko who now made their way to the living room to see what was going on between their parents.

"Careful, Ma!" Ritsuko gleefully warned. "What's Papa doing here?"

"He's...staying at home today...Don't sneak up on people!" Yukiko scolded sternly.

"They're children and you're supposedly a kunoichi, Yuki. Perhaps you need to be more careful," Madara interjected. "And if they're ever going to be ninjas like me...Or you...You should be encouraging them to sneak up on people,"

Yukiko knew she should have been angry however she found herself smirking as Madara glanced over from where he was reading. For the first time in a long time, Yukiko looked down at the bracelet he'd given her so long ago, fiddling with it.

"I hardly even notice you still wear that." Madara told her quite bluntly, Ren and Ritsuko standing between the two looking quite confused.

"I've never even taken it off, Madara," she pointed out with a slight laugh. She saw Madara smugly grin before going back to reading. "Come on, kids, let's decide what we're going to do today," Yukiko gestured them to follow her.

As soon as Yukiko was gone, Madara sighed deeply and put his book down before touching his forehead. Cold. When had he put his forehead protector on? He rolled his eyes and took it off, his fingers idly tracing the Konoha crest. He could feel his anger rising again, swiftly dealing with it by pulling out a kunai and scrapping the kunai across the headband until a long angry scratch was etched into it. He sighed and threw the headband across the room before getting up and making his way into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Nii-san, I don't like questioning your opinion but don't you think we should deal with Madara as soon as we get back?" Tobirama asked as they were still on their way to Uzushiogakure. Hashirama frowned before looking at his younger brother.<p>

"To be honest, I'd rather give him the benefit of the doubt and give him some time to settle down," Hashirama admitted. "I still have faith in him,"

"That's just naïve. He's probably planning to usurp you as we speak," Tobirama snapped, grabbing his brother's arm. "You're serious, aren't you? You're really just going to let him stew!"

"What else can I do? He's married to Yuki. He has children with her, he won't do anything reckless for Ren-kun's sake. That boy admires his father and Madara knows it. Not to mention that he's Madara's heir and I doubt Madara would do anything to jeopardize that," Hashirama explained rather wearily. "What would you have me do, Tobirama? Throw him out of the village? Throw him into a prison cell? And then what? If we attack an imaginary threat we'll end up with some very real consequences,"

"Tch, at least you've started talking like a Hokage," Tobirama scoffed before letting go of his arm. "I say we have someone keep surveillance on them from the shadows,"

"And I say that's an invasion of privacy, don't you? Remember, you're going on the assumption that Madara is a threat. Is Yuki a threat as well?" the older Senju asked, his dark eyes watching for Tobirama's reaction.

"Well. No. But that's because she's our friend,"

"And Madara is my friend. So that's why I'm trusting his judgement on this,"

* * *

><p>Madara was lying on the living room floor when a small brown and white furry creature leapt onto his chest, slowly crawling up to his face.<p>

"Ai, why are you out of your cage?" Madara asked speaking in a deadpan tone. The rabbit twitched her nose in reply. He would have picked her up and put her back in her cage however he recalled Yukiko's stern words to the children about how to pick up a rabbit and it meant being mindful of its spine and he hadn't been paying attention enough, or cared enough, to hear what she'd said exactly. "Who would keep something that's so easily hurt?"

"Dad." Ren appeared at the door. "It's lunch time. Ai," the rabbit hopped over to Ren.

"Fine." Madara got up and left the room. Ren took a moment to follow, he slowly walked into the living room and picked up Madara's discarded headband, running his finger over the scratch. "Ren!" his father barked from the other room. The boy stuffed the headband into the pocket of his trousers before scooping up Ai and joining his family. However he couldn't help but wonder why his father's headband was scratched...

* * *

><p>As quickly and strangely as the day had begun, Yukiko found it beginning to end, sitting in the kitchen, watching Madara wash up after dinner. Minoru was entertaining the twins in the living room which gave the adults a chance to talk.<p>

"Madara." He turned his head slightly at the sound of his name. "Is something bothering you?"

"No, is it so unrealistic to think that I actually just want to relax today?" Madara asked, his voice tinged with anger. She seemed to mull it over for a moment.

"Not really, but that's not why I'm worried. I just think that you're acting strange even if you did want to relax. You've spent all day away, reading. Perhaps I'm reading too much into this actually," Yukiko sighed.

"Cousin," Minoru popped his head into the room. "The twins are sleepy already,"

"That's early for them. You can leave, me and Madara will put them to bed, Minoru," Yukiko got up, touching her husband's arm as soon as Minoru was out of the room. "You really forgot about that bracelet didn't you?" he studied her expression carefully at that moment. She seemed genuinely relaxed and happy. That was good...He told himself yet he couldn't help but wish she'd be just a little upset. But that wasn't what today was about.

"I guess." He shrugged.

"That's fine. Come on, the twins are actually sleepy before it's too dark. It's a miracle! We should get them to bed before they realise," she joked playfully before leaving the room and leaving Madara frowning by himself.

"A miracle...Hn." He decided it would be best to help Yukiko who was standing in the living room confused. "What's wrong?"

"They're asleep already..." She muttered. "Preparations..." she felt like her breath was stolen from her for a moment. "Kiyoshi!" Yukiko turned, Kiyoshi appearing in her hand as did but Madara quickly grabbed her wrist and pinned her against a wall.

"I knew you'd realise quickly enough," he told her coldly, Sharingan activating. "I probably should have been more discreet but what was the point? There's hardly anything you can do now. They're only sleeping. I'm not going to kill my own children or you, Yukiko, however drugging them was necessary." his grip on her wrists tightly as she tried to cling to Kiyoshi.

"I'm not going to attack you to hurt you..." she snapped, Kiyoshi's blade shattered. "But I am going to try and talk some sense into you!" It transformed into a large bear, forcing Madara to back away from Yukiko. With one look into the bear's icy eyes though and it immediately turned on Yukiko and roared and a single swipe had her arm cut open and her bleeding on the floor. He grabbed her and pushed her into the bedroom. He pulled the bottle out of the bedside table.

"I don't...get why you've done this so suddenly!" she yelled but was clutching her badly wounded right arm. He'd been careful, even with injuring her. She wouldn't bleed to death but she couldn't hold Kiyoshi anymore.

He said he wouldn't kill her...But she didn't trust this man. This man was _not _her husband and he was _extremely _dangerous. So long as he didn't make a move towards the twins again, she wouldn't dare attack him again.

"You've lost your damn mind." She spat. "Talk to me!"" Yukiko shrieked, several icicles flying towards him. He easily dodged them all.

H pulled out a syringe and filled it with the liquid from the bottle, so silent. She hated it. She wanted to know what was going on, her heart was racing just as much as her thoughts were. He moved so quickly as well that she didn't have a chance to even stop him from injecting her with whatever poison of hers he'd made or found.

The Uchiha left her to slowly drift off and made his way back to his children, wondering if one day they really would rise up against the Senju. He could only hope and manipulate them from the outside.

The front door of his house opened, Madara slid a kunai out and waited patiently for whoever had come into their home to reach him. He guessed it wouldn't be an escape if he didn't kill at least one person.

The living room door slid open. "Yuki...?" Minoru was cut off by a kunai being held at his throat. "Madara...Now that's just an overreaction. I know you don't like me but do you really wait for me like this just to try and kill me...again?"

Madara hit the Kiyomizu to quickly knock him out. "Had to be the one other person I'm not supposed to kill." he glanced back at Ren, noticing Ren had his headband in his pocket. He knelt down and pulled the headband out and then looking down at his son. "You'll lead the Uchiha one day and you'll drag them away from this wretched place and show them I was right." he whispered, noticing that for the first time, his son really did look like him when he was Ren's age.

When he was Ren's age...He'd just lost his parents. Life was cruel and Ren would lose his father just as Madara had lost his.

"I'll come back for you one day," he muttered. Now leaving seemed unfair. He looked over to the sleeping Ritsuko, the first time she'd ever looked peaceful. "And you." Madara grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled something onto it before tucking it behind the metal of his headband and putting it back into Ren's pocket. He got up, left the twins to sleep before he had a single second thought, pulling a bandage out of Minoru's medic pack before returning to his wife who was now half-asleep.

"Madara...please just talk to me!" she pleaded, half delirious from the poison. "Tell me what's wrong."

"Shh," he sat down next to her and started slowly bandaging the deep scratch marks on her right arm. "Just go to sleep, Yuki." His voice was so quiet all of a sudden, almost...soothing. He gently kissed her before standing up.

"But...But...I love you,"

He looked down at her, frowning. Before picking up his war fan and several scrolls, sealed away in them were various weapons and supplies. By the time he was done packing things away, Yukiko was fast asleep. She wouldn't wake up for days, the amount he'd had to give her. This way he had a head start. He guessed his wife was far too good at tracking for her own good and this was necessary. He kept telling himself it was necessary.

However necessary it was though, there had been no need to stress her out anymore than he had to even if that meant not even offering her an explanation. Words would come out badly and there was no way of him saying he was leaving her that she would accept. This was his final act of kindness for her. He guessed if he wasn't so cold, so bitter, he'd have told her he loved her too. But he couldn't bring himself to. It was far too difficult, too raw a wound. Not to mention it'd be cruel for him to tell her that and then leave.

No. Madara had had to be precise with this and from where he went from here. He walked out of the house as the moon rose up, hearing a wolf in the distance. He found himself thinking how glad he was that Ren wasn't awake to hear it. He shook the thought immediately and headed down the path out of the village.

One by one, the lights were going out in the village. Slowly he was being cast into complete darkness, the moon above his only light, borrowing light from the sun. It didn't matter, he used his Mangekyou Sharingan and could see right through the darkness using the light he'd gained from his brother. A brother he now swore he'd honour the right way, not with fake shows of peace and a village so toxic even the air felt stifling to him.

No. Madara had chosen his path now. He had deviated from it a long time ago but now his mind was firmly set on his vengeance and it was a path he had to walk alone.

From behind him, Hoshi flew past, soaring high into the sky. The bird was acting strangely. He knew Hoshi's patterns well enough to know what was wrong with him.

A storm was on its way. Apparently his path was being blessed, with the coming rain his tracks would be hard for even Yukiko to track after a few days. Madara immediately started running and even as he ran out of the village he didn't dare look back.

His last days of peace were over. From the ashes of the hottest flames, a phoenix rose far more beautiful than it had been before as it cried out into the silence.

A declaration of war.

* * *

><p><strong>It's still me. No Kai and Kagami for this. I have something important to say. I have two versions of this chapter. One where Madara and Yukiko had one last fight and argument and this one. I thought it'd be more in Madara's character not to even speak to Yukiko. I don't know why. I just do. = **

**Question: What'd you think of this chapter? It was hard choosing between the two versions I've got written up to be honest. Still not sure if I chose the right one. **

**Next Chapter: I Will Do What I Must. **

**And I'll leave you with lyrics from Hell Frozen Rain. Not all of them. Just my fave part: **

**Of all these pieces of broken dreams**

**There's one that scares and confuses me**

**If all these things that you say are true**

**You should be someone I always knew  
><strong>

**In your mind's eye lives a memory**

**Hard to find, blinded by pain**

**And your father sings a melod****y**

**Hear him sing: Hell frozen rain**


	63. I Will Do What I Must

At time of writing (love that phrase) I have 299 reviews. Well damn you all. I have a thing about weird numbers and that is annoying the hell out of me. I wrote this chapter with two kittens lying on my arm. It was difficult, I tell you. They just won't move. Seriously. Once I get going I type really rapidly and they still won't move. I hate their cute faces.

Chapter Title: In The Flame of Error by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: Oh! "Post is here, the post is here, letters come from far and near, all day long they make me wanna cheeeeer! Oh. It's a letter from our friends, it says I don't own Naruto but I do own my characters and plot." Btw, if you can name that little song at the beginning of that disclaimer, I love you.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Three<strong>

**I Will Do What I Must**

"I can't believe you..." Yukiko could hear voices, faint voices that were fading in and out. She knew these voices though. They were slightly comforting.

"The enemy was gone and I couldn't..."

"Wait. Shush...Yukiko, are you awake now? Can you open your eyes for me?" It was Minoru, his hand was gripping hers tightly.

"Where's Ren and Ri?" she murmured as she opened her eyes. "Where's Madara?" she could see Minoru looming over her and Hashirama standing next to him with a very strange look on his face.

"Well...I'm going to be blunt. Ritsuko and Ren are being taken care of by Mito and Madara has left the village." Minoru sighed. He'd been wondering how to tell her but decided there was not sugar coating it.

The wave of memories crashed down on Yukiko and she felt...empty suddenly, she curled up and turned away from Hashirama and Minoru.

"I'll go and find him when I'm feeling better," she muttered, she didn't want to be alone but her body language said otherwise.

"No. You won't." Hashirama said, uncharacteristically firm with her. Firm enough that she sat up and looked at him with a hard stare.

"What?" Even Minoru seemed to be giving her the same firm look.

"Cousin, think straight. You should stay here and spend time with your children. They're upset and confused and Ren is an absolute wreck," Minoru explained with a heavy sigh, sitting on the edge of her bed.

It was only at this point she realised she wasn't at her house. She looked around. It was Hashirama's house. She frowned.

"Weren't you supposed to be going to defend the Uzumaki?" she asked quietly.

"I was. However...The threat was disposed of and my wife demanded I came back here to deal with this situation. The Uchiha are in chaos right now, apparently Madara never discussed anything else other than Ren inheriting the Uchiha. As your wife...It's up to you. You could lead the Uchiha, you could hand it to someone else in the promise that when Ren is old enough he'll..."

"I don't want any pressure on Ren. I'll..." she laid back down, still not quite feeling well. "How potent was that poison? I'm guessing it was...Can you get me some Prussian Blue? It's a paint mix," Yukiko told Minoru who nodded, understanding what she meant and got up and left Hashirama and Yukiko alone.

"Prussian Blue? He made a poison out of metal?" Hashirama sat down, he seemed genuinely confused and worried.

"No. I made it. I was working on a new poison which kept an enemy asleep for 3 days. I guess...I know that it works," she sighed, only now realising her hands were shaking.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. It's just...just the poison is still in my system," she lied, not even able to look at Hashirama. God, she wanted to hate him at that moment but all she ever saw was her childhood friend. "You know I'm lying, don't you?"

"I didn't want to say anything to injure your pride any further," he admitted. "You can stay here for a while if it'd make you feel better. Mito doesn't mind playing with the twins so you can relax for now. Ren-kun wants to know what's going on but I think he's more worried about you than what happened with Madara," he further explained, his fingers gently touching the bandage on her right arm. "Ritsuko-chan is also worried about you. Apparently you tell them stories about Isamu-san and they're her favourites. I tried to tell her one of my own but she didn't believe that I knew him. Why haven't you told them that he's your father?"

"Because they don't need to know. As far as they know, I'm from the village and I'm an Uchiha. Later on, when they can understand what happened to the Ginhana then I'll tell them all about it," Yukiko placed her shaking hand over her eyes. "Can you leave me be?"

Hashirama nodded. "Come see the twins when you're ready, Yuki," he shut the door behind him and a few seconds later he heard Yukiko start to cry.

* * *

><p>Madara walked through the forest, muttering to himself. He didn't quite understand how this was now proving to be the hardest part of his plan. Hoshi swooped down low in front of him, picking off a rabbit with ease.<p>

He ignored this though, walking straight past the corpse his 'pet' was hungrily tearing apart. He seemed far too preoccupied with his thoughts until he stopped at a clearing. A clearing he'd never seen in the woods before and considering he was right near the Uchiha Stronghold, this surprised him. It wasn't natural either, but it was hardly new. The trees were flattened down to splinters and broken bark.

His target had decimated the trees in such an area...

"Hn." He grunted, looking around the clearing. "A few weeks old...How can something the size of a damn mountain be so hard to track? If I had a decent tracking team I'd be able to find this thing in a day. Screw a team, if she was here..." he trailed off, inwardly punishing himself for even talking to himself about her. He glared off in the direction the fox had been walking and immediately made his way, not even hesitating.

XXX

"_Mother..." Yukiko said down next to her mother who was idly looking off into the distance. "Would you like to talk to me today? I saw you'd completed all the paperwork," she touched her mother's arm who sighed. _

"_Yukiko...You must always remember one thing. Promise me you'll always remember what I'm about to tell you," Ritsuko studied her daughter's face for a moment. The bloodshot eyes that told Ritsuko that she'd been crying, the rub marks under her eyes that told her she'd tried to rub the tears away desperately. Yes...she needed to learn this. "Promise?"_

"_I promise, mother," Yukiko nodded, holding her mother's hand quite tightly. _

"_You...must remain cold, Yukiko. Because this world is not a world for people who are merciful. You must not fall in love. Not when the very Settlements of this Land are at each others throats. Because if you do, you'll end up like me...Watching the rock in your life crumble because you naively believed that they were immortal or worse, that man would betray you. Yukiko, look at me," Ritsuko pulled on her hand, her brown eyes reflected such sorrow and loneliness. All Yukiko wanted to say was 'I'm still here.'_

"_I'm looking at you, mother," she swore. _

"_We are ninja, Yukiko. We thrive on backstabbing, deception and working from the shadows. No one in this world is evil, Yukiko, but there are some who will do more to gain an edge than others. That makes them worse people than us, but better ninjas. All you can do is be a good leader, be cold, Yukiko, remain cold."  
><em>

* * *

><p>Yukiko sat up, her head in her hands. This was what her mother was talking about. Her own husband had poisoned her and left her...Poisoned their children and all she had left on her to show as evidence of his wrongdoing was a bandage on her arm which hid a deep wound.<p>

That day with her mother though...Her mother had been selfless, something she wasn't known for and though Yukiko hadn't kept everything in mind, she'd been right.

She pulled herself up and took in a deep breath. Her first couple of steps were shaky, her reflexes not quite back with her yet. There was a knock at the door quickly followed by Minoru coming in with a bottle.

"Found this at your house...Er, can we talk?" he asked rather awkwardly as he handed the bottle to her.

"It's not like I've got a busy schedule," she muttered before sitting back down on the bed. "I don't actually need this,"

"I know, the poison is gone but...Maybe you can paint later," he offered her a weak laugh. "Listen, I don't think it's safe here anymore," his voice turned quickly to a very serious tone, he sat down on a chair in front of her. "I know that...this is peaceful and all but...Lately I've been feeling very paranoid, like someone is breathing down my neck,"

"I know what you mean but keep in mind, Minoru, my children are only 4 and they've just lost their father basically. I can't be moving them and I can't...I don't think I can even leave," Yukiko explained with a heavy sigh to begin with.

"If you know what I mean...Why didn't you side with Madara at that meeting?" he asked bluntly. "Genshi told me what happened. That's why Madara left, isn't it?"

"You weren't there, Minoru, even if he was right he was talking like a madman!" she snapped, unnerved by her cousin's stony attitude all of a sudden. "I don't want to discuss this with you,"

"This..." Minoru grabbed her wrist. "This is important, don't run. There are shinobi outside your house and they're even watching this one," he leaned closer to whisper to her. "Listen, they're here to keep an eye on you. I've been watching them for the last couple of days. They think you're going to run and join Madara, even Hashirama is being cautious. He won't admit it but he's worried. A free Madara is not something anyone wants hanging over this village. And it is...You know what he's like, he'll come here if he pleases and he's one of the strongest shinobi this world has ever seen. He could flatten half this village and make it look easy with that arrogant chuckle and smug smirk on his lips,"

"Why are you telling me this, Minoru?" she muttered back to him, now that he'd informed her she was being watched she couldn't help but feel on edge. She cursed her shaky weakened state.

"I thought it was about time I put into action what your husband taught me when you asked him to turn me into a shinobi. Madara can do whatever he pleases, all I'm here for is you and for somewhere to hide something important. The offer to run is always there, it wouldn't be easy mind you. I'm not exactly a talented warlord. I'm sneaky but I'm not that good. You know what I mean?" he pulled away from her ear for a moment, she nodded in agreement.

"For now, we will monitor the situation. Ren and Ritsuko come above everything else, Minoru," he murmured an agreement before standing up.

"Well. Wanna go and see them?" he still had a firm grasp of her wrist which he now tugged on. "The sooner, the better,"

"I will now." She got up and slowly made her way to the door, sliding it open just a crack to look out, she could see...one shinobi in the window of the room opposite them. Minoru hadn't been lying after all. She opened the door the rest of the way and he led her down to the room where she could hear Mito talking to the twins.

As soon as Yukiko stepped into the room, she felt another flood of emotion as Ren and Ritsuko looked up at her. Ren looked utterly lost, he opened his mouth to speak but almost looked like he was being strangled.

Mito guessed this was the time for her to take her leave, standing up and nodding to Minoru who also left. As soon as the door was shut, Ren was comfortable enough to speak.

"Did we do something wrong?" he asked, his voice was hoarse and weak. Ritsuko looked at him before looking back at Yukiko as if to say she wanted to know too.

"No, why on earth would you think that?" Yukiko said, sitting down. "You've done nothing wrong,"

"So where is dad?"

"I don't know."

"Did you fight again?"

"No."

"When is he coming back?" at this question, Yukiko faltered and looked down at her lap, fighting her tears. "Ma, when is he coming back?" she looked up at him, her eyes brimming with tears. "Don't...Don't cry, ma,"

"I really don't think he'll be coming back, Ren, Ri," she was worried that Ritsuko hadn't even spoken to her however now the girl did pipe up.

"Are you going too?" Yukiko looked horrified before seeming angry. She was angry. Angry that Madara had left her alone but more angry he'd left his children. But she was also bitterly upset and now her children could see it.

"I am _never _going to leave you. Listen to me, I won't," Yukiko pulled them both close to her, allowing herself to cry again. "You are the most important things to me," she said through her tears.

"We weren't to him," Ren muttered. "Why won't he come back?"

"I...I can't really explain that to you however when you're older I'll tell you. But I promise it has nothing to do with you," she was partly cursing herself for her moment of weakness. Her pride was telling her that her children shouldn't see her so weak and upset however she recalled being upset that her mother hadn't seemed to ever cry over her father. It felt like a dilemma and so Yukiko put her pride away for a while, in her mind she was wondering what to do. Whether to stay a little longer in Hashirama's home or whether to return to her own.

Remembering Minoru's words, she'd have a bit more privacy in Hashirama's. No doubt the Senju were swarming her house for any trace of Madara.

"Come on, I'll tell you a story and you can get some sleep," Yukiko said suddenly, standing up. Ritsuko nodded however Ren hesitated.

"And you won't leave when we fall asleep?"

She shook her head. "If I don't leave the room, will it make you feel better?" He nodded. In truth, it'd make her feel better as well.

* * *

><p>Minoru poked his head out of the window of the room at Hashirama's house that he'd been given. A Senju kunoichi looked at him with a rather confused look.<p>

"Hello. Can I ask you something?" he said with a smile. "Why are you here again?"

"You're a Kiyomizu, aren't you?" she asked. He nodded.

"I am _the _Kiyomizu. The only one in this village, in the country possibly. We don't travel much, fear of success leads us to be quite a secretive bunch." the kunoichi stared at him rather unimpressed by his banter. "Now, back to my question. You, here, why?"

"I'm on orders, Kiyomizu. That's all you're a liberty to know," she told him quite bluntly. However he didn't seem willing to accept this.

"Orders? From who? The Hokage?" she ignored him. "The Hokage's brother?" he sighed. "Would you like some tea?"

"I'm on duty, Kiyomizu, please leave me alone," she said firmly, continuing to glare at him. "Or else I'll tell the Hokage you're interfering with my orders,"

"Hmm, interesting," Minoru said before pulling back and shutting the window. "Very interesting,"

* * *

><p>Yukiko yawned and stretched, creeping out of the bedroom where her twins slept. She hated to leave them but she had something to ask Mito and Hashirama.<p>

She found Hashirama looking rather surprised to see her as he sat down on his own in the living room.

"Yuki, you made me jump a bit. I suppose that's not good. I'm Hokage now. Aren't you supposed to be with the twins?" he seemed very distant as he spoke to her, struggling with something, she knew him well enough to know that.

"I had a few questions. Why are there so many guards around?" Yukiko decided to go straight for the hard questions as she sat down next to him. "And...don't lie to me,"

"Fine. I'm worried that Madara will come after the village," she shook her head at this.

"That would be a big risk. He'd need an army and he's not likely to get that. Not to mention you're lying,"

They both fell silent for a few minutes before the Senju answered her. "I'm worried you'll do something stupid and get killed or that the Uchiha will revolt," now he was being honest. "Or even both,"

She looked at him with astonishment before frowning. "Well that's understandable. The Uchiha haven't mentioned what went on?"

"No. They're currently taking orders from Genshi and apparently I'm not entitled to know about their business, it's in our peace treaty," Hashirama informed her, leaning his head back on the wall and shutting his eyes. "What a mess but I'm sure we'll get through it and be stronger because of it," he added with a tone of optimism.

"Of course. How did you know what had happened?"

Hashirama had expected this and handed her a note. She read it through a few times slowly before screwing it up in a ball of throwing it at Hashirama and storming out of the room.

* * *

><p>Minoru was careful not to get seen by the Senju as he made his way back to his house. As he expected there were a couple of shinobi posted outside his house as well. He cursed to himself before carefully making his way in undetected and he tried to fight all urge to run into his room. He needed to be quiet, a real ninja for a change.<p>

He slowly opened up his wardrobe and pulled out his box before turning and finding his room had been completely torn apart. It surprised him so much he was trembling slightly. Someone had been in his room _looking _for something. He unsealed the box and once he was satisfied that it hadn't been touched he ran out of the house silently however he ran into a problem.

A white haired problem, and not the one he was used to. To say Minoru had been rather shielded by the Uchiha was an understatement and as such, he'd never had much involvement with the other clans and so being confronted by Tobirama Senju was a surprise.

"Ah...Tobirama-san, what're you doing here?" he asked, trying to sound natural and utterly failing.

"I was just checking the area, Kiyomizu. What's that?" the Senju reached out and touched the box, his fingers burning slightly making him recoil. "Some sort of seal,"

"It's a family treasure. I'd appreciate it if you didn't touch it again and let me leave," Minoru said, almost squaring up to Tobirama. His amber eyes managed to hold his gaze. "Now if you don't mind, I need to go and check on Yukiko." He walked past him and in the direction of the Hokage's Mansion with his head held high.

"How is she?" the Senju asked him rather quietly.

"She'll be fine once she gets some air."

* * *

><p>Two weeks passed relatively quickly and though Yukiko, Ritsuko and Ren were all still shaken, they had returned to the family home.<p>

Yukiko yawned and stretched as she woke up, Minoru being right next to her always managed to surprise her.

"Why don't you sleep somewhere else?" she groaned as she sat up, her fingers idly tracing her bandage. She'd still not taken it off despite the wound healing.

"Because you won't sleep in your bed and this is the room where I always sleep," he pointed out as he leapt up, hearing that the twins were already awake. "Why are they always up now?"

"They don't want to sleep. They think I'm going to leave as well. Hours, Minoru, it takes me hours to get them to sleep now," Yukiko said, frowning as she left the room. "I wish these damn Senju would leave us alone already, it doesn't help,"

Minoru didn't make any attempt to reply however he did laugh at her.

"What?"

"These 'damn Senju'? Maybe Madara never left," he chuckled, she smacked him round the back of his head.

"Don't be an idiot all your life, Minoru. It makes me so uneasy though..." she recalled the memory of her father's assassination, a cold chill spreading right up her spine as she did. That was what she dreamt of every night now and it was starting to play on her already paranoid mind. "Will they?"

"Well, the Inuzuka are out looking for him now," Minoru pointed out with a shrug. "As soon as he's located, the village will feel better,"

"I won't. Being able to know where he is but not seeing him will be even worse than now. And those dogs won't find him, I really don't like that clan...They're much too loud,"

Minoru grunted in agreement. "Ah well...I just hope when he is found, he's not doing something stupid."

* * *

><p>Madara found what he was looking for at last, staring up at the Kyuubi.<p>

This was the sort of moment legends were made of. A moment...A simple look between two living things...

And both their fates were sealed.

* * *

><p><strong>We were cut last week, Kagami! <em>I know! It was disgraceful. Although...This chapter...Minoru is coming out of his shell. <em>Yes. Yes. He is. I quite like it. He's strong for a change. _Yes..._**

**_Question: In this whole situation of Madara leaving, who do you feel more sorry for? I feel bad for Ren..._**

**__Next chapter: When The Ground Parts From Below!**


	64. When The Ground Parts From Below

****Not many chapters left. 3...4 at the most. Would you like a hug? I would. Actually the ending of this chapter is the best ending paragraphs for a chapter that I've written in quite a while. It sort of falls nicely into the sort of thing I'd write for the novel I'm writing so I really got into it and my proper writing style came out a bit. I would like to thank Masashi Kishimoto since I had to nab a quote from him in this chapter. For canon sake. Obviously.

Chapter title: In The Flame of Error by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I'm shocked no one got the Blues Clues song last chapter. Well...In the game of Blues Clues I played today Blue wanted to tell me that I don't own Naruto but I own my OCs and plot. Tsk.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Four<strong>

**When The Ground Parts From Below!**

Yukiko sat up on the futon next to Minoru's. "Minoru..." she nudged him. "Can you feel that?"

"Hmm?" he yawned and turned over. "Feel what? Yukiko, just go to sleep. You're just too paranoid right now. How long has it been since you slept properly?"

"You don't understand, Minoru," she muttered, standing up and opening the window partly, seeing a couple of shinobi outside. "I'm a kunoichi and I'm protecting my family. I'm not supposed to be sleeping,"

"Ask your team to help you. You don't have to do this on your own," he groaned, trying to get back to sleep. "They're sensors, right? Ask them tomorrow to keep a lookout at night,"

"And if they tell Genshi?" she asked, shutting the window and sitting back down.

"So what? The Uchiha can't do anything unless you make a decision, he wants to be leader of the Uchiha so he'll be a good little boy and let you do what you want," Minoru explained in a quiet hiss. She looked at him for a moment and then down at her lap.

"This is pathetic..." she stood up and walked to the door. "Absolutely pathetic..."

"Yukiko! Wait!"

* * *

><p>The Kyuubi reacted the way Madara thought it would. The way the beast only knew how to. He bared his teeth to the Uchiha, each razor sharp fang glinting in the moonlight and just a single one had the capability to shred Madara in half.<p>

After the baring of the fangs came the deep, rumbling growl. It sounded, to Madara, like rolling thunder above him. It sounded...powerful, not just powerful but like true raw energy that could lead to such greatness if it was just harnessed correctly.

The Kyuubi was glaring down at him, but Madara didn't think anything from it.

"Well. If it isn't the Uchiha once again..."

"Kyuubi..." Madara yelled over the growls. "You are merely a momentary life..." this cause the fox to dip his head and growl even louder. "A temporary existence of coalesced energy...Energy that was once a single, ultimate form!"

The first thought the Kyuubi had as he heard this was that Madara clearly was more intelligent than he'd given him credit. He knew about the Ten-Tails...This did nothing but irk the Kyuubi.

"An unstable force, lacking in intelligence or sapience, you require a guide to show you your purpose. That guide is the Uchiha!" at this point, Madara stared straight into the Kyuubi's deep crimson eyes. "The tailed beasts are but slaves to those with blessed eyes..." Kyuubi was about to unleash a roar of anger when Madara snapped an order to him. "Obey!"

* * *

><p><em>Yukiko walked down a corridor. A very long corridor. It was dark as well and reminded her of the Uchiha Stronghold. <em>

_However, she knew it wasn't her old home. Home...what a strange way to describe what had once been her prison. She felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness though and a very strong urge to run. She nervously began to walk faster and faster before finally breaking into a sprint. _

_This corridor had to end. It just had to. There had to be an exit. Her heart was racing, she kept looking behind her until finally reaching a door and pulling it open. _

_It was the throne room of the Uchiha Stronghold, this confused her. She had already decided this wasn't the Stronghold. But she was definitely in the throne room, staring at her husband...And it hurt. It hurt to look at him because for all her anger at him for leaving, she was looking at him and feeling upset and aching. _

_She wanted him back and all it had taken was to stare at his handsome face. _

"_Madara..." She muttered, slowly, ever so slowly, approaching him. "You left me with a clan in tatters, two children emotionally wrecked and an army at our doorstep watching my every move." She found herself in the same situation as 6 years ago. She was staring at him, willing herself to hate him. _

"_Our marriage was a farce." He told her bluntly however she shook her head._

"_It wasn't though, was it? Just a flicker, I saw it in your eyes before you left...a tiny bit of regret," Yukiko sighed. "Liar." _

"_All shinobi lie. It's the very nature of the job title and our way of life." _

_And all of a sudden she shrieked. In anger, in frustration and in some deep emotional pain. "You think I don't know that? I was a clan leader myself! But if you'd said you were leaving, I would have come with you! Your children would have come, start a new life somewhere away from the village!" _

"_Pathetic dreams, Yukiko." Madara spat, standing up. _

"_No, they're not. There's no such thing! Why do you have to do everything alone? Why...Why couldn't you just...tell me..." _

"_Well, I was trying to protect you," a new voice told her softly. She turned her head slightly and saw a sight that made her blood turn to ice. Her father smiling gently at her. "I could have told you but...What good would it have done you? Fate is something often cemented and if I hadn't died that day, then it would have been the next," Isamu further explained. _

"_Besides, Madara didn't used to do everything alone, did he?" Izuna told her with a slight chuckle, appearing behind her. "But you can't just replace our bond. I'm his only family, Yuki-chan, no...They know you're just a scared girl right now," _

"_I just don't want to end up like you, father," Yukiko admitted dryly. "I won't have the Senju coming after me. I told myself that a lot and so I sided with them on everything I possibly could. And now, they're everywhere. They're suffocating me and I am...I am scared."_

"_It'll all be over soon." Madara said, his voice making her flinch all of a sudden, like the crack of a whip. "The man you love...doesn't live anymore," _

* * *

><p>Yukiko gasped as she woke up, feeling like she'd just plunged into a lake of ice cold water. Her heart was pounding and her hands trembled. In front of her was a rather surprised Minoru holding a bowl.<p>

"Alright...A rather strange reaction to me informing you we only have plain rice but hey...Who am I to judge?" Minoru asked with a laugh.

"How can we only have rice left?"

"Erm, because no one has been shopping in weeks? You won't leave the house, Yukiko. And I can't leave either. This is the part where you get Aoi and Takehiko to help out or else we're doomed to suffer," Minoru explained with a melodramatic tone which did nothing but irritate Yukiko.

"You can leave. You just don't want to." She told him bluntly. He shook his head.

"I'm not leaving you alone with these vultures flying outside plus, my box is here. So I'm staying here,"

"What's so important about the box?"

This made Minoru tense up it was only for a fleeting moment but Yukiko noticed it. "It's just something that's very important to me,"

It didn't explain why he seemed to think everyone else was after his precious box. In fact, from what she'd heard, his entire house had been searched and she had no doubt it was because of what was in that box. It left Yukiko thinking that perhaps the Senju would storm into her own house one day and search for it.

There was a light thump from the window behind her, she pulled out a kunai and was about to throw it when Minoru grabbed her wrist.

"Don't!"

It wasn't a shinobi, as she'd expected, but it was, in fact, Hoshi. His appearance make Yukiko freeze, staring at the bird with a look of utter confusion. The bird seemed to sense this, jumping down in front of her and looking up at her.

"Hoshi..." she gently placed her hand on his head. "What're you doing here?"

"Maybe, Madara is around," Minoru suggested quietly, more to himself than to her. She didn't even answer him. Instead, she stood up and Hoshi leapt onto her shoulder.

"I'm going to go and ask Aoi and Takehiko for help, look after the twins while I'm gone," Yukiko demanded as she left the room, finding the twins standing outside the room.

"Ma, where are you going?" Ritsuko asked, having regained her role as the spokesperson for the twins. "Can we come too?" Yukiko shook her head.

"No, this is adult business. I will be an hour. Would you...Hm..." She thought to herself for a moment, trying to work out how she could reassure the twins. "How about, I set the hourglass? I'll be back by the time all the sand is in the bottom part," she proposed.

Ritsuko looked at Ren, they stared at each other for a while. They did this sometimes and Yukiko wondered if twins really did have a higher understanding of each other. She didn't believe in the whole theory that they could read each other's minds. But she did wonder if they could read tiny messages in each other's body language at such a young age.

"Okay, but if you're late you'll be in trouble!" Ritsuko demanded firmly. "We won't talk to you anymore,"

"I won't be late, I promise," Yukiko vowed before leading the children to the kitchen and pulling out the hourglass. She waited for a moment. "I'm leaving as soon as I put this down, okay? And I'll be back in an hour, exactly one hour,"

Ren held Ritsuko's hand, again she looked at her brother before smiling at Yukiko. "I believe you." Ren flinched slightly at this. "Ma is Ma. We can look at the sand," she said, attempting to comfort him.

"'Kay," he muttered. Yukiko twisted the hourglass upside down and immediately left.

* * *

><p>Madara sat in the darkness of a cave he'd found, it gave him a clear view of Konoha. Hoshi had flown off down towards the village. He couldn't help but think how overconfident of the village. It sat there, lights glowing in the night. It was just beckoning enemies to come and attack.<p>

But at the same point, while he loathed that village and everything it stood for, he understood that that village was where his wife and children were. That made him feel very uneasy. He had no choice, this was his duty.

He stared up at the waning moonlight now. Weren't there some things in this world that couldn't be helped? He wouldn't be the powerful shinobi he was today if it weren't for the pain he'd experienced growing up.

If he thought about it that way, it helped. He'd be hurting them, yes, but in the long run, he'd make them stronger. Wasn't that the best thing to do for them?

* * *

><p>Yukiko walked into the Uchiha office. She hadn't been there since the day before Madara left and Hashirama had been right, the Uchiha were in chaos. It was a very controlled chaos but there were far more people in the office than Madara would ever had needed and there was no clear leadership.<p>

Her husband would be ashamed. There were guards running back and forth and several kunoichi asking for the simplest of things. In fact, she was ashamed. An elite clan thrown into such disarray because of one thing. Albeit a major thing however they needed to be more calm.

"Hey!" Yukiko yelled at the door. "What's going on here?" Everyone went quiet and still, looking at her in surprise.

Takehiko spoke up. "There's been a number of orders and..."

"On Madara's desk. All orders. I've got less than one hour, I'm going to put down a system and then you can carry on from there," she pointed to Genshi who looked relieved to see her. "You're supposed to be a Council Member, Genshi. If you intend to take over from Madara, you'll need to learn to do the paperwork as well as being able to hold your own in battle," Yukiko explained before heading into the office finding a pile of papers on the desk.

"I was rather hoping that Madara-sama would be back after time, I thought he just needed to cool down until I heard about what he'd done to you and the children," Genshi admitted with a deep and solemn tone. "What a mess..."

"We need to sort this out now. Hashirama thinks that the Uchiha are going to revolt. The sooner we have this sorted, the more confident the village will be," Yukiko said, quickly flicking through the papers. "The more confident the village, the less Senju swarming my home. Also I'm taking my team back with me,"

"Aoi and Takehiko? Aoi is needed here," Genshi told her flatly, she responded to this by looking up at him and glaring.

"At some point, Ren or Ritsuko will be leader of this clan, whether it's because he's Madara's son or because she deserves to be, and it'll be mighty difficult for either of them if they're dead because of the Senju around my house like a flock of vultures on a battlefield," Yukiko snapped angrily. "As I said, I've got less than an hour and I'm trying to help so give me something,"

Genshi opened his mouth to retort when there was the sound of Aoi clearing his throat at the door. The two men locked eyes before Genshi sighed. "Fine. Aoi and Takehiko."

"Thank you, Genshi,"

* * *

><p>Minoru came out into the kitchen. Ritsuko was sitting on the floor playing with her favourite alligator plushie whereas Ren was staring at the hourglass, intently watching the sand.<p>

"Well...Say, Ren-kun, do you want to play a game? Now that your arm is better I can teach you how to write properly," Minoru offered, kneeling down next to the boy.

"No." Ren said frankly, his eyes not once leaving the sand.

"I will!" Ritsuko, having heard this, had thrown down her alligator and jumped up excitably. "Bring the sand and Ren can sit inside and watch,"

"Wow, that's actually a good idea, Ritsuko-chan, very thoughtful," Minoru praised, straightening up.

"Of course it's thoughtful, I thought of it!"

Minoru groaned inwardly as she said this. Sometimes, Ritsuko had tiny sparks of true kindness and intelligence...However it was always quickly followed by something stupid. _Always. _

"You're both very cute in your own unique way," he laughed gently before hearing a knock at the door. "That can't be Yukiko so soon," he muttered to himself, glancing at the children. "Be quiet."

The thing that had put him most on edge was Hoshi's sudden appearance. He knew Madara was around and the fact he wasn't with his wife and children again just worried him.

Perhaps this was why the village were worried, they knew it was inevitable that Madara would return and when he did...what would happen?

Minoru had to say he was relieved when he pulled the door open, a kunai in hand, and Aoi and Takehiko were there.

"What were you going to do with that?" Aoi asked in a rather dull tone before walking straight past him.

"And a good morning to you as well, Aoi, always wonderful to talk to you," Minoru replied sarcastically before looking at Takehiko who was now feeling rather awkward, shifting from one foot to the other. "Not going to make a snide remark?"

"Not really," the young man shrugged. "Yuki-sensei came in and yelled at everyone."

"Well, if there's one thing Yukiko hates above all else, it's unfinished paperwork," the Kiyomizu sighed.

Ritsuko poked her head out of the living room, watching Takehiko intently.

"Oh, Ritsuko-chan, here, I've got what you're looking for," Takehiko knelt down and handed her a box of biscuits. "Is that what you wanted?" the girl laughed and took them from him.

"Thank you!" she chimed gleefully. "Look, Ren!" she rushed back into the room.

"So, any idea what's going on about the leadership?" Minoru said to the two sensors but they just looked at each other. Takehiko frowned and looked down at the floor and Aoi shrugged.

"We aren't the type to get involve in leadership affairs. So long as our leader is respectable, we aren't too fussed," Aoi explained, this didn't seem to impress Minoru though who folded his arms before muttering something but he noticed Aoi subtly gesturing to Minoru who looked around before remembering that they were being monitored.

"Oh. Yes. I guess you're right. I hope this mess is sorted out soon,"

* * *

><p>"Right. Genshi. I'll leave you to carry on the rest," Yukiko declared as she noticed she was running out of time. Hoshi, still perched on her shoulder, was beginning to get irritable as well.<p>

"Thank you, Yukiko," Genshi sat down behind the desk before standing up. "Perhaps I'll move it all over to my desk," it still didn't feel right. He sighed and picked up the newly sorted piles of papers and took it over to his desk before looking to Yukiko. "Will take more than a new paperwork system,"

"At least there's a clan still here to be salvaged," she mumbled before nodding and leaving.

* * *

><p>That evening, Aoi, Yukiko and Takehiko were sitting out in the garden, watching Ai hop around outside. Neither of them said anything except that something didn't feel right. Both of them had a sense of being on edge. It wasn't the Senju either, it was just an oppressive force pressing down on them all.<p>

"I'll be asleep in the living room if you need me," Yukiko yawned.

"With the Kiyomizu?" Aoi asked with an almost angry tone in his voice. She sighed.

"Yes, with Minoru. I'm not ready yet to sleep in that bed. Problem, Aoi?" He glanced at her as she said this and looked as though he was going to reply before he shook his head.

"No, Yukiko-san," he said obediently, taking in a deep breath.

Satisfied, Yukiko walked back into the house hoping that when she woke up this feeling of uneasiness would have disappeared...

* * *

><p>It was subtle at first, a few guards late for reporting in and considering it was late, this didn't mean anything too drastic. Sleeping on the job, no doubt.<p>

However, as time dragged on, there were more guards late. Now the captain of the guard that night was worried. The barrier surrounding the village was fine though, nothing out of the ordinary detected. He slowly made his way out of the headquarters and walked down the path out of the village.

He listened for the faintest of anomalies, the tiniest spark of some unseen attacker. Alas, he found none but the closer he got to the edge of the village the more his heart pounded. He may have been experienced but he wasn't stupid and he knew when to be afraid and cautious, and this was one of those times. His instincts told him to run and his duties told him to stand tall and figure this out. He had a village to think about, children innocently sleeping in their beds and this village had to make sure they had nothing to fear. And that's what his guards did, keep the bad monsters at bay. He told his son that every night he could.

The captain pulled out a kunai as he reached the gate to the village. Nothing. He'd found nothing at all out of order. So why was he still scared? At this point he was more scared that he had been when he'd set off.

Something...something told him not to turn around. His breath steamed in front of his very eyes. For the first time since he'd been a boy joining his clan's army, he was shaking. That suspense, it was suffocating, like some large powerful snake was sucking the very air from his lungs.

He clenched his eyes shut, berated himself for being such a coward and then turned.

A flash of steel...And specks of blood flew up into the sight of his widened eyes...Widened and now rapidly becoming lifeless. A slight gasp and he fell to the floor with a thump, barely having time to look up at the red eyes glaring down at him.

And besides...By that time it was too late...Far too late...

There was a man in the village now and he was looking for bloody revenge.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Reminds me of a song, Kai...<em>Oh...? What song? _Hm, it's from a musical called Blood Brothers. I think it's called Madman but I couldn't be sure. It's just after Light Romance. _Oh, okay. So, Kagami, it's all ending soon. _Yes. I presume in the end it'll turn out that you never died and that you're secretly Ritsuko? _OH! How did you know? **

**_Question: I'm going to be sad when this ends. Will you? _**

**__Next chapter: This Hand, This Hate, My Heart. **


	65. This Hand, This Hate, My Heart

****Oh it has been a while since my last update, hasn't it? Well...Writer's Block is a bitch. Also, if you put a gun to my head and demanded I told you what Minoru's theme song would be I'd probably ask why you needed to put a gun to my head, I'm a normal person you can always just ask! And several people have. Well it's Blood Red Summer by Coheed & Cambria. Why? Because of some wonderful lines in it that just scream Minoru. If not that then Wonderful from Wicked (The musical Wicked. Ya know.. ;)

Chapter Title: In The Flame Of Error by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I was playing Final Fantasy X and the Song of Prayer translates to...I don't own Naruto but I do own my characters and plot. :)

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Five<strong>

**This Hand, This Hate, My Heart**

There was something oddly surreal about it all as Yukiko was pulled from her sleep by a panicking Takehiko. He was repeating something to her but she was far too dazed and sleepy to realise what it was until about the fourth repeat.

"Madara-sama is here, some of the Senju are here to take the twins to some sort of shelter..."

Yukiko's mind went from being dazed to being snapped wide awake and straight into action. It was like someone had turned the volume up on the world and she could hear yelling outside.

It was Minoru and Aoi refusing the Senju entry. She was certain of that. She got up and headed to the front door without hesitation. She had to admit, Madara leaving had made her somewhat of an over-protective mother and had made her far more maternal than she'd ever felt.

"What's going on?" She asked as she slid the door open, Minoru looked at her with a look of complete relief. There were 6 Senju shinobi and each of them on their own looked intimidating, let alone as a group.

"Yukiko-san, we're here to escort the children..."

"Yes, I know that. But would you please use your brains for a moment? These are Madara's children, do you really think he'd come here and kill them?" there was a moment of awkward silence.

"Yukiko-san, he's already killed several villagers and guards," Aoi told her firmly. "While I agree that the children should be taken somewhere safe, they're saying that no Uchiha, and by extension you, are to go with them,"

"The Uchiha are supposed to be an elite clan, they should have all their forces out trying to deal with this issue and so should you! You're the ones who caused this problem!" one of the Senju demanded. However Yukiko was still reeling from what Aoi had told her.

"He's attacked villagers?" she said. The sensor nodded. "Dammit..." she hissed. "Minoru!"

The Kiyomizu immediately followed her back into the house.

"Wait, wait! Yukiko! What're you doing?" he pleaded as she headed into the bedroom she'd once shared with the man now bringing chaos into the village.

She immediately pulled on her Uchiha clothes, slipping on some black wrist guards before stopping to offer him an explanation.

"You're going to tell Aoi that we're taking the children to the tablet. He'll know what you mean. After that, Aoi and Takehiko are staying with them. You're coming with me," she ordered, her voice cold, so cold it literally sent shivers down his spine. She picked up Kiyoshi and tied the sword around her waist, once she was satisfied that it was securely sheathed and tied she moved into the study. Minoru followed her in a daze of confusion, only barely realising she was filling her various pouches for her bag with bottles of an assortment of poisons. She then unsheathed Kiyoshi, pouring poison into the sheath before she gently placed her thumb on the sharp edge.

It was the slightest of touches but blood welled to the surface, a drop running down the blade. Content with her work, she sheathed Kiyoshi again.

"Time to go wake up the twins," she told Minoru, seeming so calm but he knew that deep down, she was dreading this. "I won't tell them...that he's here. It'll only confuse them," she sighed deeply and walked into the twins' room.

They were both asleep, looking as peaceful as any child would when dreaming undisturbed.

"Ren, Ritsuko," Yukiko nudged them both awake. "Shh, you have to come with me and be very quiet," she told them in a quiet whisper as she handed them both coats to keep them warm.

"What's that noise?" Ren asked, referring to the now obvious sound of fighting outside. Yukiko hesitated for a moment.

"It's...There's just a bit of fighting going on but it'd be better for you two if you went to sleep somewhere else tonight,"

* * *

><p>Hashirama had never felt so stupid. He felt like he'd been blinded all along and he could hardly blame Madara, Madara was just acting out the only way he knew how. But Hashirama...He could have tried harder, tried harder to stop this from getting to this stage and he could have tried harder to at least make sure the village wasn't attacked.<p>

And here he was...He ran down the village, Tobirama close by his side.

"Nii-san, what's the plan?" the younger Senju asked.

"The plan? At this point it's stop Madara with the least amount of damage to the villagers and the village itself," the words were easy enough to say but Hashirama had a horrible feeling that they would be very difficult to put into place.

He had to focus though, he had to think about this logically.

He had to protect the village.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was carrying Ren, who was trembling in her arms. There was so much noise now and he kept hearing his father's name repeated from frightened lips of other shinobi.<p>

"Ma, why are they talking about Dad?" he asked quietly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know, Ren, they're very silly sometimes," Yukiko lied. Ritsuko, on the other hand, was taking this as an adventure, peering over Takehiko's shoulder to see what was going on.

"Do you know him? What about him? Him? Or her?" she pestered, now that she was awake it seemed highly unlikely she'd settled back down without a fight. Takehiko sighed heavily.

"No, Ritsuko-chan, I don't know many of..." Takehiko stopped, grabbing Yukiko's arm. "Yuki-sensei." They looked behind them.

"That..."

* * *

><p>Madara was found by Hashirama quickly enough, he had hardly hidden himself now. In fact, it seemed like Madara had purposely wanted Hashirama to find him.<p>

"Madara!" Hashirama yelled, weaving handsigns. "Four Pillar Prison!" the large creaking blocks of wooden stretched out, attempting to keep Madara contained however he quickly countered with a sickle, slicing the wood before jumping back, his Mangekyou Sharingan trained on Hashirama.

"Your guards need to be better trained," was all Madara offered in terms of conversation but this seemed to have an effect, not on Hashirama though. It baited Tobirama instead.

"You Uchiha bastard!" the younger Senju snapped angrily.

"Tobirama! Don't." Hashirama was forced to grab his brother's arm to control him. He couldn't risk any mistakes and his brother was too impulsive. "Tobirama, leave Madara to me, go and help the villagers,"

Tobirama hesitated but the look in Hashirama's dark eyes immediately told him he had no choice and he quickly zoomed away from Hashirama who sighed and looked at Madara.

"Why do I think that was part of your plan?" he asked, his eyes narrowed. Madara's Sharingan seemed more piercing than ever, returning the glare in Hashirama's eyes tenfold.

"On the contrary, Hashirama, I came here with a one-step plan. The complete annihilation of Konoha by any means necessary," Madara's voice was thick with arrogance and a much more dangerous tone. "It's just _that _simple,"

"I won't let you destroy what took 6 years of hard work by every single member of this village to make!" Hashirama conjured up several large tree trunks that headed straight for Madara who ran back, weaving in and out as the trunks slammed down onto the ground.

"Fire Style: Great Fire Majestic Annihilation!" it had the strength of 10 fireballs, an entire wall of flames and rolled out, igniting the wood and setting several houses aflame.

Hashirama had to lead Madara out of the village, the two of them fighting in it was sure to create a lot of collateral damage.

"Aren't I still your main target, Madara?" Hashirama asked, taking a step back. "The object of your hatred? If you wish to avenge Izuna..." he could feel Madara's temper flare at the mere mention of his brother's name. "Then why not deal with this like true shinobi, like old times. We'll settle this on the Northern Battlegrounds."

Madara considered this for a moment before the two shinobi raced away.

* * *

><p>Yukiko pulled up the tatami mat and carried Ren down the stairs into the meeting room. Takehiko quickly lit the two torches either side and to her surprise, both of the twins went silent all of a sudden.<p>

Their mother sighed, sitting down between them. "If I tell you a story, will you go to sleep?"

They both nodded curling up against her. "Will it be about Isamu Ginhana?" She shook her head.

"About a different shinobi, I won't tell you his name. But one day, the shinobi had a young woman that he held quite dear. She wasn't from his clan, she wasn't even from his country. But regardless, he cared about her a lot. She was different. Very different. She was proud and stubborn and sometimes she'd have terrible arguments with the shinobi. Sometimes they'd argue so much and say very bad things that'd upset them both. So, one day they had to go to this big banquet and neither of them wanted to go..."

"So why did they go?" Ritsuko interrupted. Yukiko rolled her eyes.

"Because they had to. Sometimes, Ritsuko, we do things we don't want to do. Anyway, they both went. And they had a...wonderful...time at the banquet but the next morning when the shinobi had lowered his guard, a rival stole the woman away! Well the shinobi was so angry he called up his brother and his army and headed straight for the rival's stronghold. He tore that stronghold down looking for the woman and took her all the way home," Yukiko laughed softly as she finished her story.

Ren was drifting off but Ritsuko was looking up with her in awe. "What a nice shinobi. Why did she leave her country? Was it for the shinobi?"

Yukiko's throat went dry for a moment. "No, she had no choice. She...fled her country and he...after a series of long mistakes...ended up letting her stay with him. Now go to sleep for me," she kissed Ritsuko's forehead and slowly stood up, nodding to Aoi and Takehiko as she and Minoru left the safety of the meeting room and headed back up to that world...that world of noise and violence. Only to find two very familiar Uchiha were waiting for her.

* * *

><p>Madara chased down Hashirama who was moving at lightning speeds, far faster than Madara remembered he was ever able to move. Madara put it down to Hashirama being scared. He would bet his life that Hashirama was scared.<p>

"If I am scared, Madara..." ah, he knew Madara well enough. "It's for the lives of the innocent people that you always end up threatening!"

"I've lived in this world long enough to know that no one is innocent." Madara growled.

"What a sad way of life you've led," Hashirama said with a sigh. "And look where that thinking has gotten you,"

"Don't start talking like you understand or like you pity me!"

Hashirama frowned, looking forward again before he felt Madara readying a jutsu. The Senju turned, three winding thick branches attempting to break Madara's concentration, even for a second however a moment later a fireball blazed, heading for Hashirama who ducked down.

"Water style: Gunshot!" a burst of water extinguished the flames before they touched the trees. Madara surged forward, swiping at Hashirama with his sickle and managed to hit flesh, tearing the Senju's arm open.

The two of them hit the ground, both ready to fight. It seemed that they weren't waiting to reach the battleground now.

Madara laughed softly to himself before pulling out a scroll for a summoning jutsu.

"Would you like to know what this is, Senju dog?"

* * *

><p>Yukiko stood still, looking at the two Uchiha before smiling. "Atsuko, Hayate, what's up?"<p>

"We thought you could do with someone to help you look after the twins. It'd be pointless to keep Aoi and Takehiko down there when me and Atsuko are just as capable but not quite as vital to the Uchiha forces," Hayate quickly and rather assertively explained looking at Atsuko who nodded.

"They're Izuna-sama's niece and nephew. This is the very least I can do for them," she added in her usual quiet tone. "So please, Yukiko-sama,"

Yukiko hesitated. An ideal situation would be having Aoi and Takehiko on the field, just as Hayate had said, but considering the amount of times she'd managed to slip past Hayate numerous times herself she didn't completely trust him. But Atsuko? Atsuko, she trusted with her children in a heartbeat.

"Of course, please go and tell Aoi and Takehiko to catch up with us," she pulled on Minoru's sleeve and the two raced away.

"What's wrong with you?" Atsuko asked the guard as they headed down to the dark.

"Nothing..." he lied. She studied his expression for a moment.

"Okay." She didn't really need to say anymore. She'd mentioned Izuna and that alone was enough to put Hayate into a bad mood, no matter how petty it seemed to her she never once argued with him on the matter. It just never seemed right for her to do so. And she couldn't help but hope this would redeem her for the terrible thing she'd said to Madara when she'd last seen him.

Partly, she blamed herself for Madara's attack. She wondered if she had offered him supposed, would he have stayed? She guessed not but she still felt rather guilty.

"He could have a chance for redemption here." Hayate said rather dryly, clutching Atsuko's hand.

"And he won't take it. There's is far too much water under the bridge. He'll either kill Hashirama-san or he'll die. And I think Yukiko-sama knows this and that's why she's hidden the twins away. If Hashirama-san dies, the Senju will want blood and the twins would be exposed to that. If Madara-sama dies, then the children will be shielded while she tells them," the maid reasoned, although it was with a heavy heart. Neither of the options seemed very appealing as far as the peace of the village was concerned however Madara dying seemed to be best for the village. Albeit it wasn't the best option for some people in it.

* * *

><p>"We need a proper plan!" Minoru pleaded as Yukiko rushed into the village, using her ice threads.<p>

"No. We need to figure out the situation first, a plan comes second," she sternly told him. "As soon as Takehiko and Aoi get here, we'll be following Hashirama-kun and Madara,"

"Do you really think that's the smartest choice? Go after the two most powerful shinobi in the world...to get between them?" Minoru snapped, his temper flaring rather uncharacteristically. "I mean when Madara is out there, the red mist falls and he wouldn't hesitate to slice you down,"

"That's why I said we'd think of a plan once we figured out the situation. I'm far more experienced than you," she retorted, her voice was venomous.

"And I'm far less emotionally invested!"

"You're right, I _am _emotionally invested and if you're doubting my ability to function under pressure than I suggest you just go sit somewhere with your box!"

There was a very tense silence as Takehiko and Aoi approached, the two Land of Water natives glaring at each other.

"You're going to get yourself killed. I'm trying to make sure the twins still have a mother after all of this!" Minoru broke the silence, he took a deep breath after this.

"Are you suggesting that I'm not thinking of my children?" Yukiko invaded with little personal space he had, her hand on Kiyoshi, ready to draw. "You have no idea what's going on here, you've never lived in a clan, you've never loved anyone so what the hell do you think you're doing giving me orders!" Instead of using Kiyoshi though she slapped Minoru.

"Yuki-sensei!" Takehiko now rushed to her side. "Please, isn't there enough going on right now?"

"I've lived in a clan for the last 5 years and I have loved someone. I know you're frustrated and confused but can we not go charging out and just observe what's going on right now?" Minoru asked quietly, taking a step away from her. "You are leading a sensor squad after all,"

"You don't understand anything, Minoru..." Yukiko muttered before turning to her squad. "Aoi, we'll observe the situation for now and make any plans we can," she patted Takehiko's shoulder and gestured him to lead them.

* * *

><p>"Tobirama-dono! Yukiko Uchiha has been spotted following Hashirama and Madara!" one of the Inuzuka informed the younger Senju.<p>

Tobirama studied the situation. They were combating the flames and broken houses that now littered the village.

"Hmm. She won't side with Hashirama...I won't have her interfere!" Tobirama and several Senju left with an Inuzuka leading them to Yukiko's speeding location.

* * *

><p>For Madara, the stage was set for Hashirama's downfall. It was quite a stage, close to the Life River that his wife had once been so fond of.<p>

"I'm going to cut to the chase, Hashirama. You _will _die here," Madara declared bluntly. His Mangekyou Sharingan was gleaming in the dark, any other shinobi would have been scared but not Hashirama. Hashirama stood proud and calm and Madara knew what was going on in Hashirama's head.

Hashirama had no time for fear, he was quickly making plans and plans for those plans if there were any failed moves. And it was this sharp mind that promised Madara a proper fight at last.

Madara opened the scroll and smirked. "I'm afraid this is something you can't step to."

* * *

><p>Yukiko and her squad stopped immediately, even Minoru could sense it. A stifling condensed hatred.<p>

He grabbed Yukiko's arm and looked north with the rest of them. "What's that?"

Through smoke and cloud a form rose up, roaring to the glowing moon. It was such a loud roar that the very ground shook, Yukiko bracing herself and grabbing Takehiko.

"Madara...They're in..."

"No, they're not. That's a summon..." Takehiko told her, his voice shaking. "I can feel it. He's summoned the Kyuubi..."

Yukiko stared up at the figure of the fox in the distance. She was about to speak when Aoi pulled out a kunai with an explosive tag attached and threw it behind him, the explosion setting a few trees on fire.

"The Senju have found us then," Aoi pulled out more shuriken. "We'll have to deal with them first."

"Aoi, you go on ahead and keep your eyes on Madara and Hashirama. We'll deal with the Senju," Yukiko ordered, unsheathing Kiyoshi, the poison dripping down from the glistening blade.

Aoi nodded to Takehiko and left.

"Minoru, they aren't after you, go back to the village," she added, pushing Minoru away from her. "Go back and make sure anyone who needs medical help in the Uchiha clan, get the best help the Kiyomizu can offer,"

Minoru wavered, torn between Yukiko and getting away from the violence he always hated.

In the end, his cowardice, that he clung to like a lover, got the best of him. The Kiyomizu took several steps from her before running back to the village, passing the approaching Senju as he did so.

And at this moment, in the dark of the night, morning seemed...so far...almost like it'd never come.

And he knew that for one of those fighting shinobi, it probably wouldn't.

* * *

><p><strong>Dramatic line! <em>Kay-chan has always loved ending on those. <em>Ah. Yes...But that's naughty! _Not really. So another two weeks till the next chapter, Kagami? _Yes...I guess so. **

**Question: Excited for the big fight scenes next chapter? You know that that means the chapter after that is the last chapter and that the next chapter is going to be SUPER long, right?**

**_Next chapter title: My Touch Around The Grip Of This Knife! _**


	66. My Touch Around The Grip Of This Knife

****Time for the penultimate chapter! Sorry it took so long. I was hit with Writer's Block. But I'm back now! And here it is. :) Hope it's good enough for you alllllllll.

Chapter Title: In The Flame Of Error by Coheed & Cambria

Disclaimer: I was playing Mass Effect the other day...I had a message at my private terminal that said I didn't own Naruto but owned my own characters and plot.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Sixty-Six<strong>

**My Touch Around The Grip Of This Knife!**

Yukiko jumped back, avoiding a kunai before swiping a few more away with Kiyoshi, ice spreading across the ground.

She was distracted for a second and a sudden burst of water knocked her off of her feet. She groaned and got up, looking straight into Tobirama's eyes.

"This isn't a fight for us to interrupt. I'm going to take you back to the village for monitoring," he told her coldly. Yukiko steadied her nerve, gripping Kiyoshi tightly.

"But you're just not." She snapped, her voice like the crack of a whip as she jumped forward to attack with her sword.

Tobirama conjured a massive wave of water that took Yukiko by surprise, hitting her and then pushing her back past several trees until she hit one, at which point she countered, turning the whole wave to ice.

"If you don't let me get to Madara then people will suffer," Yukiko pointed out as she jumped onto the ice.

"If Madara lives then even more will suffer! People have died, Yukiko! I'm not talking the odd couple of guards, I'm talking over a hundred villagers are lying dead back there because of him! Any chance for redemption is gone," Tobirama yelled, his fists trembling as he clenched them tightly. "You're just too blinded to realise,"

"I'm not." She said calmly, looking earnest. "Did I ever say he was right?"

* * *

><p>Aoi could constantly sense the presence of the Kyuubi but besides that, the night almost seemed quiet and peaceful. It was quite a contrast. He recalled his father would have told him that it was nights like these that made history.<p>

Maybe so, but Aoi wasn't quite sure what else to do other than to avoid and make sure he didn't get killed in the crossfire. Especially as far as Madara was concerned.

There was a sudden burst of more chakra, Aoi stopped and tried to analyse the situation. A forest...A forest had appeared in an instant.

Aoi looked up at a tall tree and immediately started to climb, hoping that the height would give him a decent enough vantage point to 'observe'.

He saw a mass of shifting trees and the Kyuubi standing tall, lifting one of its paws...

* * *

><p>Madara had to keep moving to avoid the branches from constricting him but he knew, with utter confidence, that he had a definite upper hand in this fight.<p>

"You've taken this too far, Madara!" Hashirama snapped, looking up at the beast that had been summoned, a beast that appeared in nightmares and horror stories. "Wood Prison!"

Madara was fast though. "Great Fire Destruction!" There was a flourish of flames burning the trees and through the flames, Madara appearing, cutting Hashirama's arm open.

Hashirama seized the chance though, swiping at Madara with a kunai, before kicking Madara's chest. The Uchiha jumped up to a branch, catching his breath for a moment while Hashirama watched him cautiously.

"There's no such thing as taking it took far for victory," Madara informed him with a growl. The Kyuubi paw pushed down, flattening a large amount of trees before opening its mouth, a large amount of black chakra racing towards the centre of its gaping jaws.

"Smothering Binding!" Hashirama weaved a sign, urgently creating several branches to wrap up around Kyuubi and while it didn't bind the fox for more than a couple of seconds, dragging him to the ground, but it negated the chakra ball attack.

The Senju was suddenly kicked from behind, he turned as he attempted to dodge, realising that he had taken his eyes off of Madara for a moment. He berated himself, telling himself that he had made a stupid mistake.

He was beginning to feel doubt, that was his mistake. But he cast that aside. Hashirama told himself in his mind that he had no time for doubt while the village he'd worked for hard for was in danger.

* * *

><p>Minoru had ignored Yukiko's orders to help the Uchiha, although he had a good reason. He, instead, headed for her house faster than he had ever run. He could literally hear his heart pounding in his head.<p>

As soon as he reached the house he realised there were still Senju outside. He stopped dead in his tracks, trying to think deeply and trying to work out how he was going to get into the house without being spotted.

He pulled out a kunai and crept slowly, keeping low to the ground to try and muffle any sound he'd make as he edged closer to the window of the twins bedroom. He reached out and grabbed the window sill before jumping up into the house, landing with an ever so quiet thump.

Minoru froze, waiting for a moment to see if anyone had heard him. One thing heard him, appearing in the room. A rabbit, tilting its head before hopping away.

He exhaled, having held his breath as his heart stopped. He leant down and picked up his box from under Ren's bed.

He didn't quite know why he'd hidden it there, but he had felt like it was definitely safe under there. He unsealed the box and found its contents were, indeed, safe.

The healer sighed, picking up the scroll inside of it and hid it in his medical pack. There was a sudden bang. He grabbed his kunai, not being able to hold two things at once properly with his still injured arm.

He flattened himself against the wall next to the door, he took in a deep breath and held it. He'd never killed someone. Well, people had died under his care but not through his own actions and as such he was praying he didn't have to kill someone now.

Fate, however, is nearly always cruel and a Senju came into the room. Minoru didn't even think. He needed to protect the scroll and to do that, this man needed to die. He slit the man's throat at such a degree that it split the jugular open.

It was a fairly quick and merciful death and Minoru felt a rush of adrenaline as he leapt out of the window without a backwards glance into the dark of the night once more.

* * *

><p>Yukiko was being driven back to the river, with the nagging feeling that upstream was her husband and Hashirama.<p>

But the river was, for once, the last place she wanted to be. While having access to water was an advantage for her, it was more an advantage for Tobirama who immediately took that advantage and used a Water Shockwave that rose up, twisting at high speeds before dispersing and hitting her.

Once more she found herself knocked off of her feet and was lying on the riverbank.

"Yukiko..." Tobirama began as he approached her, kicking Kiyoshi away. "You're not like me, you're running out of chakra."

"I don't need chakra to use kenjutsu," she said, pulling herself up. "I once led a clan, Tobirama, don't write me off too quickly," she tightened her hair tie and walked over to where Kiyoshi was, picking the sword up. "And yet you let me pick him up," she watched Tobirama with her crimson eyes.

"It'll be easier to wear you down before bringing you in."

"Confident." She scoffed. "Flowing Ice!" The river froze over, Yukiko jumping onto the newly formed ice, clutching Kiyoshi tightly. "Never underestimate a Ginhana!" she ran forward to attack, Tobirama appearing behind her. She ducked down, turning and swiping at him with her sword. The Senju was quick to counter, a water dragon breaking the ice and heading for Yukiko who sliced it in half.

The water had washed away her poison and she didn't have time to top up Kiyoshi's dose as Tobirama knocked her off balance with another wave of water.

It was then that it happened. It terrified Yukiko to her very core.

Her whole world went black...And yet she was still awake and she knew she was still fighting. She had just gone...completely blind

* * *

><p>Genshi ran out of his house without even a goodnight to his daughter. He had received word that Aoi, Takehiko, Minoru, Atsuko, Hayate and Yukiko weren't accounted for and neither were the twins.<p>

Madara Uchiha was on the loose and the closest to him were all missing, Genshi's jaw clenched. He couldn't imagine a more irritating situation.

And yet, he assumed a role he hadn't for quite a while. He had, after all, once been in charge of all the sensors in the Uchiha clan. Whatever natural skill Takehiko possessed paled in comparison to the experienced senses of Genshi and as such he was quick to locate them.

And then further found that Yukiko was the most urgent case for him to go and assist.

The Uchiha took in a deep breath and headed out into the night, making a careful effort to avoid all other clans as he did so. He moved silently and swiftly, passing Minoru in the blink of an eye. The healer, apparently, wasn't paying attention to what was going on around him anyway.

A loud roar tore through the sky, Genshi's eyes clenched shut as he heard it. Hardened warrior yes but that sound still filled him with a sense of dread.

* * *

><p>Madara was in the grips of several strong branches, tight enough that it was nearly cutting off his blood circulation. And while usually he'd be filled with white hot anger at the thought that this could be Hashirama's best move, he just smirked.<p>

He still had the upper hand. Hashirama could do whatever he pleased, the Kyuubi was still the main threat in this fight.

The Senju made several large scrolls appear in a puff of smoke. He was preparing to stop messing around to attack Madara all out. He had hoped that he could spare Madara but this wasn't going to happen. So it was time to give Madara one last fight.

It was funny, the thought of losing never even crossed Hashirama's mind, he didn't have a choice. He had to win and he had to protect the village. That was all his life was now. For the first time since his appointment as candidate, Hashirama knew what it meant, truly meant, to be Hokage.

It wasn't about the paperwork and it wasn't about being a leader. It was about being the guardian for his village and all its residents. It was about protecting his home and his family and their lives.

He simply could not fail.

With a paw crashing down, Madara was freed and he leapt forward to attack the Senju, sickle in hand.

Hashirama jumped forward, from one of the scrolls he brought out a sword. The two weapons collided in a spark and the sound of grinding metals.

It was a match of equal strengths, Madara realised this wasn't about having the best weapons or strategy. It was about waiting...For one missed placed step. A battle of precision.

The ground began to crumble behind Hashirama, Madara pushed forward and the Senju lost balance falling down the chasm that had now appeared on the earth.

And the Uchiha boldly followed.

* * *

><p>Yukiko stumbled in the darkness. She tried to dispel the jutsu but with her limited chakra she couldn't focus it enough to overcome it.<p>

Instead of panicking though, she shut her eyes completely. She focused on the sound of rushing waves. She'd always fought half blind. She couldn't afford to lose focus.

Waves...waves...straight in front of her. She ran to the side where she remembered was a large tree and jumped up. So far so good but there was no way she could be distracted even for a second.

She heard several more rushes of water heading for her. Too many, she tried to listen to which one would hit her first. All of them. It sounded like a jutsu unlike the ones she'd seen Tobirama use before. A massive flood.

And just moments before it hit her. She felt herself being lifted up by some unknown person, the genjutsu was gone. She could see once more.

And Yukiko looked at the person who'd dragged her high enough to avoid the flood.

"Takehiko!"

"Did you forget about me for a moment, Yuki-sensei?" he asked jokingly. She looked away, slightly ashamed.

"I'm not likely to now, am I?"

* * *

><p>The river plunged into the chasm, a large cascading waterfall filled it.<p>

Hashirama broke his fall with trees sprouting out of the side of the rocks. Madara landing cleanly next to him. Madara was quick to react, kicking him and cutting him once more, this time he pierced armour.

The Hokage grabbed Madara's arm, running a sword along his chest.

The Kyuubi seized his chance, charging up another bijuu ball. This time it was a hit. The ball of energy rolling down the chasm, extending it, breaking the trees and injuring the two men in the process.

The two fell into the water...

Madara's eyes pierced through the water and darkness, looking to Hashirama. It was that mutual understanding that had built up over years of war and constant battles and it told him that this fight was good. Even the Senju would have agreed, maybe not out loud, but it was the in the way he moved, the gleam in his eyes.

It was a shame that Hashirama was going to die here. Madara felt it.

This was going to be the greatest fight he would ever have.

Madara headed up to the water's surface to regain his balance and his stance in the fight.

Hashirama was having a similar thought. As good a challenge as this was, Madara proved to be far more dangerous that before. And he HAD to be stopped.

He swam down, reaching the bottom of the water and placing a hand on the wet earth and used his chakra as the lifeforce needed for a new attack.

* * *

><p>Takehiko and Yukiko were putting up a good fight now. The Ginhana leaping down onto a piece of floating ice to take a breath.<p>

In the meantime, Takehiko was keeping Tobirama busy with a barrage of punches and kicks. Takehiko didn't like to use ninjutsu, it confused his senses. Instead he focussed on quick taijutsu.

Tobirama grabbed the Uchiha's wrist, going to swipe at his throat with a kunai.

Yukiko instinctively leapt into action, cutting the back of Tobirama's leg. The Senju fell onto one knee, releasing his grip on Takehiko.

The Uchiha sensor seized his chance, kicking Tobirama before jumping away.

"Let's go! We've got to get back to Aoi!" Takehiko grabbed Yukiko's wrist.

"Sense for Minoru first. I can't do it myself," she ordered quietly.

The sensor shut his eyes before looking towards the fight between Madara and Hashirama. "He's heading for the fight! What's he thinking?"

"Dammit. That stupid Kiyomizu!"

* * *

><p>Aoi was standing in awe of the destruction caused by the Kyuubi.<p>

"No two people should be able to do this..." Aoi muttered. By 'this' he meant holding the power to tear apart the ground in front of him, he was shaking as he took in the scene. He found feel the two were still alive. Their chakra signatures were strong as usual.

There was a dreadful thought in Aoi's head that perhaps neither would win...they seemed locked in this battle more viciously than usual. It was like an addiction.

Aoi felt Takehiko and Yukiko were heading for Minoru but he sensed another signature following then. And then another.

* * *

><p>Tobirama stood up, angry at himself for being caught off guard.<p>

He touched the back of his leg, staring at the blood that coated his hand. He was quick to pull out a bandage from his tool pack and tightly bandage his wound.

He sighed, it would do for now. He moved to follow Takehiko and Yukiko when another Uchiha appeared in front of him.

Genshi looked at the Senju with a look of mixed disappointment and anger.

"We need to follow them. Let me be your senses," Genshi offered. Tobirama hesitated. "You don't understand how the Uchiha work, do you?"

"Excuse me for not trusting people who repeatedly try to kill me," he spat. Genshi chuckled to himself.

"Well, I'll tell you this. You've been attacked by the people loyal to the Leader of the Uchiha. I was once loyal to the Council but I was twisted into believing in Madara, foolishly so. Now let me help you. Because this is what the Uchiha truly want," Genshi explained.

"What if that means killing Madara or Yukiko?"

Genshi looked at him, he hesitated to speak for a moment.

"Perhaps I should ask that to you, Tobirama-kun. Madara-sama...you're scared of him. And I know that if push comes to shove, you're scared of having to do what has to be done," he said. "Let me help and then maybe we can start building a foundation for a better relationship between our clans,"

Tobirama held his hand out to the Uchiha. "Start now then."

Genshi immediately shook it. "Fine. Let's go."

* * *

><p>The Kyuubi's mouth was being kept shut with a muzzle of wood. A large tree had ruptured from beneath the water. While the fox was distracted, Hashirama turned to Madara, unsealing more weapons from his scrolls.<p>

A dark chakra formed around Madara, a large skeletal figure growing around him.

Hashirama had never seen this before. He'd seen the Tsukuyomi but this was a different eye power completely.

"I've always kept this up my sleeve. I call it the Susano'o. Did you really think I'd come here with just one new trick? I've been perfecting this for years."

The skeletal figure gained muscle and then a cloak and sword. It felt dark and menacing, echoing the look in Madara's eyes.

Hashirama looked up in amazement.

"This is..."

"My hatred."

* * *

><p>Takehiko grabbed Yukiko.<p>

"Yuki-sensei, Genshi-san and Tobirama are heading for us,"

"Genshi? What?" Yukiko stopped dead in her tracks. "Has he sided with the Senju?"

"Maybe. Hey, we aren't picking sides here!" Takehiko exclaimed in protest. This was cut short by Genshi and Tobirama appearing, Genshi hitting Takehiko with a fireball.

The young Uchiha fell back, skidding across the ground.

"Genshi! What the..." Yukiko looked back to the young Uchiha but was suddenly hit to the floor by a burst of water. She twisted around, immediately getting back up. She fought against the temptation to check on Takehiko, instead opting to stare down Tobirama.

She covered Kiyoshi's blade in poison before launching an attack, one open wound was all she needed with the potency of the poison she'd used. Just a single cut and that required her entire focus, for the world around her to no longer matter...Her only thoughts had to be on the current fight.

Tobirama managed to block and avoid all of her attacks and it was doing nothing but wasting her energy.

And just metres away Takehiko was feeling the sting of his inexperience in battles, Genshi burning his leg badly with a fireball which left him on the dirt in agony. He pressed himself just to ignore the pain, but it didn't help. He was a sensor, not a fighter and that was becoming painfully obvious to him now.

He gritted his teeth as he saw Genshi turn away from him and help out Tobirama.

"Dammit. Dammit." The young man berated himself, his anger giving him the adrenaline rush he needed to ignore his pain and get back up. "Yuki-sensei!"

* * *

><p>Hashirama jumped away from another swing of Susano'o's sword, he had a plan as always to deal with Madara and his hatred. A way of containing him.<p>

He grabbed one of the weapons he'd prepared, a broadsword. It was just heavy enough to bring his plan to fruition. The Senju ran swiftly forward across the water, Madara readied another attack, the sword being plunged into the ethereal figure...

* * *

><p>"<em>The Uchiha have a new leader," Yukiko informed Hashirama as they walked through the gardens of the Senju Stronghold. "The captain...You know the one everyone talks about?" <em>

"_Madara Uchiha, yes. I've faced him a few times myself, he's very talented," _

_Yukiko smiled, taking a sip of the bottle she was carrying. "I doubt I'll have...the pleasure...just yet. I've got war orders to fulfil as soon as I get back to the Land of Water," _

"_Ah. Hence the delay by coming here," Hashirama said with a slight laugh. "As long as I'm leader of the Senju, Madara won't be able to break through this Stronghold," _

"_Oh, you thought I was worried?" Yukiko asked. She stopped walking and frowned. "Do I have reason to be?" _

"_No. But I'll say one thing about Madara, of the few times I've faced against him, he certainly keeps a fight very entertaining," _

"_Aren't you the peace loving one?" she joked. "It's not like you to admit you enjoy a good fight,"_

"_I don't. But he's different...Very different...You know the sort. A one of a kind genius, a shooting star in a winter sky," Hashirama admitted, sighing heavily. _

"_All stars fall, Hashirama. Father always told me, never get attached to any man you'll have to kill one day, that's just the world we live in," the Ginhana countered, and rightly so, he thought to himself. _

"_Too late."_

_Yukiko didn't say anything for a minute, she just stared at him in mild disbelief before shaking her head. "You're serious? Hashirama, I respect you completely but don't you think that's a bit..."_

"_Naive, considering our clans histories together? Yes but he has a certain charisma to him. He has the potential to change the world, and I'm not being over-dramatic," _

_Again, she studied his face before laughing and taking another sip of sake. "No doubt."_

* * *

><p>As soon as the broadsword managed to make its mark, Hashirama used his Spreading Vine jutsu, strong but thin vines slithered into the chink in Madara's armour and then proceeded to attempt to tear it apart from the inside.<p>

Madara was quick though, using black flames on the wood however at that point it managed to nearly spread to Susano'o. He had to get rid of Susano'o now that Hashirama had worked out a way to break it.

He looked to the Kyuubi however the beast was flailing. Madara was losing ground in this fight. He immediately punched Hashirama to give him a second to think of his next move. His next careful strike...

* * *

><p>"Neither side seems to be letting up just yet..." Aoi sighed, still standing atop the tree for his vantage point. "Damn, what is that idiot doing now?" By idiot, he meant Minoru, who seemed to be heading straight for the battle. "He's not my problem,"<p>

The Uchiha was beginning to question himself though. He had always followed Madara, without question, because that was his Leader. However with the rest of his clan revolting against Madara...He didn't quite know where he stood.

With Yukiko was his first chain of command, the captain of the sensors and his Leader's wife and yet after that it became blurred. He could follow a captain and just not bother with clan politics but that hardly seemed right in itself.

Aoi was pulled from his thoughts, a massive explosion of chakra shook the fight between Madara and Hashirama. The tides of the fight were now choosing a favourite...

* * *

><p>A burst of fire and water pulled the two fighters apart. Madara got up, now finding himself to be panting, blood seeped from a cut on his forehead and his chest, he glanced at his wounds and then looked to Hashirama who was already standing again, wiping blood from a cut on his cheek.<p>

The Uchiha pulled out his sickle once again however there was a sudden cry of triumph as the Kyuubi was freed once more. His tails spreading out, reducing all they hit to rumble.

Hashirama reacted without a second thought, he had a chance now. He leapt up, holding out his palm to the fox.

Something Yukiko had once said rang in Madara's mind...

"Hashirama-kun has dealt with a creature like this before..."

And just how he dealt with that demon cat that Yukiko mentioned was about to become very clear.

Madara moved to stop the Senju, who touched the fur of the fox and dragged out a chakra that looked like lava...Madara could almost feel the hatred coming out of the beast.

Madara jumped up to attack Hashirama who was torn between which of the two enemies to deal with for a second.

The Senju's world seemed to slow, he could see a mistake...A mistake at last. A tiny opening for an attack, it could potentially kill Madara if Hashirama hit him just right but...Images of the village he was protecting flashed up in his mind...

He touched Madara's chest plate, writing spreading across the armour.

"Unseal!" Madara felt sick as he felt the Kyuubi being wrenched from his control and the Kyuubi seemed almost relieved, laying its head down to sleep.

Hashirama pulled out a weapon

And met the Uchiha head on.

* * *

><p>Atsuko and Hayate had been sitting in the flickering torchlight in silence, Atsuko was carefully watching the children sleep.<p>

"You really only doing this because they're Izuna's children?" Hayate asked, breaking the silence between the two of them. She looked at him with surprise.

"No. Yukiko-sama is my friend, it's only right that I take care of her children while she has business to attend to," she corrected however this didn't seem to please the guard to hear. He scoffed.

"You never mention Madara-sama when you talk...Ever."

"I don't...see what there is to mention. We just grew up knowing each other and we were friends, I suppose. No, actually...Madara-sama didn't have friends. He only really had Izuna-sama and that's all he ever really wanted and perhaps even now..." she explained with a solemn tone, trying not to think back to those more...innocent...of times.

"Maybe but he's never coming back to this village and even if he does, it'll be as a criminal," Hayate didn't speak with anger but rather regret. He had always been a fiercely loyal supporter of Madara and the thought that the clan was changing like this was upsetting for him and even more frustrating was that there was nothing more that anyone else could do. The damage was done and all they were all waiting was for a report of just how much damage was done.

"If anyone can find a way, it'll be Yukiko-sama..." Atsuko moved a lock of hair out of Ren's face.

"Because she has to for the twins,"

"I suppose if anything can motivate a person, it's their own children," Hayate smiled at her however she gave him a rather disapproving look.

"That's true but there's more to it than that. This is bigger than us..."

* * *

><p>Yukiko and Takehiko had gained some ground once more but it was becoming clear to Tobirama and Genshi that Madara's faithful rebels were growing tired, especially Yukiko. Sweat dripped down her face, her breath turned white in the air and her hands now trembled on her sword.<p>

"Yuki-sensei, Madara-sama has lost control of the Kyuubi," Takehiko whispered to her. "I'm not sure how long this fight will go on for now,"

She took a step back from Tobirama and Genshi. Her mind was beginning to become clouded with too many thoughts.

It was a sudden move, a very quick urge that came on without warning. Yukiko turned towards the direction of the fight and began to run. Takehiko jumped to her defence, grabbing Tobirama and hitting the Senju to the ground, leaving Genshi to follow after her alone.

Yukiko wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do. She wanted to do _something _though and with her last bit of strength she wanted to go to Madara and be useful and she let that be her strength but it was a thought that blinded her and as soon as she reached the river, looking downstream to the chasm that the battle between Hashirama and Madara had made. The sight made her stop...Her mistake as she was suddenly pulled down to the water's surface by Genshi.

He dragged her up, a kunai at her throat as she stared out to the chasm, her heart was pounding, her back pressed against his chest, he was using just one arm to restrain her.

He leaned forward and muttered in her ear...

"Your choice, Council Leader."

Yukiko shut her eyes. "Can I ask you something, Genshi?"

The Uchiha shrugged. "Take your time, Yukiko, you've got the rest of your life. I've already nearly killed you once before,"

"Do you really think that the Uchiha will be able to rise up from this if Madara doesn't win? The Senju will do exactly what Madara said and they'll oppress the Uchiha,"

"He was so worried about it and yet he'll be the one that brings it upon us, if it happens. His reign is over and it's time for you to decide where you stand...I will say one thing. I'm not without honour...The twins won't be dragged into this...Not until they're..."

"Don't you dare! You touch my children and I swear I'll kill you!" She spat, fighting against his restrain but she was much too tired, a tear falling down her face. "Let me go!"

"I wouldn't dare however, I like to believe that evil is passed down."

"Madara is not evil!"

"No...Evil probably isn't the right word...I'd rather say that he's a shell of the leader he used to be. There are two main events that led to this, Yukiko, do you know what those were?" Yukiko stayed silent. She knew exactly what was coming. "Izuna's death. That's understandable, Madara raised that boy as if he were his own son. The second was your arrival to the Uchiha Stronghold. From that moment I was instructed to watch you and assassinate you when the time came. I heard you fighting for peace for the Uchiha and immediately withdrew from that mission."

"So what? You're now going to finish your mission?" she asked, her voice shaking. She had nearly died before, but she'd never been in a position like this before.

"I'm giving you a chance, Yukiko. Renounce your loyalty to Madara and you get your life..." Genshi trailed off, sensing someone was approaching behind.

"Get off of my cousin, you snake," Minoru hissed viciously, a kunai in his right hand. "She's not done a thing to you except support you, Genshi."

"Well this is quite surprising...A Kiyomizu coming here, ready to kill. No, the surprising part is that you think you _can _kill me. Go away, you're nothing."

"I _am _something. My anatomical studies mean I have ways to kill you that you wouldn't have even _heard _of before," Minoru snapped.

"Minoru, don't!" Yukiko attempted to turn but Genshi held firm. "You need to run! You need to use those damn healing skills of yours on someone that needs it!"

"I need to help you!" the healer countered angrily. "I'm not helping Madara when you've got a kunai at your throat!"

"The Kiyomizu has a point."

"Shut up!" the two Land of Water natives yelled in unison.

"You're holding her life and you think you can talk like that!" Minoru added, running forward to attack the Uchiha.

Genshi was quick to react, throwing Yukiko down before making light work of disarming the Kiyomizu. He quickly analysed the situation, coming to the conclusion that Minoru was just going to be a pain if he wasn't dealt with now.

He went to cut the Kiyomizu's throat when his kunai was grabbed. Yukiko having managed to get up and stop him.

"Minoru, I appreciate the sentiment but your skills are much more useful helping Madara...You need to leave now," Yukiko ordered, her voice eerily calm.

Minoru wasn't about to argue with her twice, he ran past the two only once looking back.

"I assume from what you just said...that you've made your choice," Genshi said, staring at the blood dripping from her hand. "That's a shame, you really do have a skill in leadership,"

"I was born for it."

"You're out of chakra now though...and strength. Look at you, you can barely stand..." he pointed out, she closed her eyes, her lip quivering.

"I don't care...I couldn't let you kill someone who has hardly any battle skills at all. Minoru is innocent in all of this, as tempting as it may have been to let you kill him, he's family."

Genshi smirked, twisting the kunai to cut deeper into her hand until her reflexes told her to let go.

As soon as she did, Genshi grabbed her.

"Give me your last words, Yukiko Uchiha...No...Ginhana. I'll be sure to relay it to your children..."

Yukiko glared at him, venom in her eyes. "You wouldn't dare."

* * *

><p><strong>OH! Cliffhanger, Kagami? <em>Why not? We don't even get to talk next chapter. Apparently Kay has a special message for everyone...<em>No fair! We're back in Shattered Ice though, aren't we? _Yups, we certainly are, Kai! Nothing quite like our brilliant deduction skills to keep this story going..._**

**__Question: Alright, so was that chappy worth the wait?**

**_Next chapter: My Love, I Apologise._  
><strong>


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